Young people in Lozells are set to make a song and dance about the environment, as part of a pioneering project to raise awareness of climate change.
Family Housing Association, which manages 2,100 properties across the West Midlands, has teamed up with Urban Living – the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder for Birmingham and Sandwell, and engagement specialists First Class Youth /E.ngage to launch a scheme which will see more than twenty young people pitch creative ideas about how to tackle climate change.
As part of ‘Eco Factor’ youth workers from Birmingham based E.ngage have been out and about in Lozells recruiting young people to take part in a number of workshops to devise a creative presentation.
The sessions will give young people the lowdown on key eco issues, as well as showing them the benefits of teamwork and how music and visuals skills can get across a message. Twenty-six young people have signed up as contestants.
Once the presentations are complete the young people will pitch their ideas to a panel of senior local representatives in a bid to claim a £500 cash prize.
Local residents will be able to see the result of the young people’s work at a special community event to be held at Holte School in Newtown from 6pm to 9pm on 31 October.
The project is part of a wider eco programme being run in South Lozells which is being funded by Urban Living* to help transform the area into Birmingham’s newest eco-village.
Claire Hardwick, head of community investment at Family Housing Association, said: “We want to offer young people a creative and fun opportunity to get involved, learn more about climate change and have their say about issues which affect them. E.ngage developed the Eco Factor idea and we are delighted to be working with them to deliver this.
“The Eco Factor will create wider awareness of green issues and the need for us all to make changes and lead more sustainable lifestyles, which in turn will help us meet our aim of reducing fuel poverty. It will also help create links in the community as the young people will work with the older generation when pitching their ideas and attending the community event. We are really looking forward to seeing the ideas the young people come up with.”
Steve Lilley, Urban Living’s director of programme and performance, explained: “The Eco Factor will complement the many eco-based regeneration activities taking place in the area and most importantly it is a way of engaging with the younger members of the community, who are more likely to make the kind of lifestyle changes that will have a positive effect on the environment.”
Melissa Shervington, co-director of E.ngage, said: “The Eco Factor is already proving to be a great success, we have received a positive response from young people within the Lozells area who were very keen to be involved in the project.
“It’s very rewarding to be able to deliver creative projects with such passionate young people, whilst addressing such imperative issues. We are excited to witness the final presentations at the close of the project, which we hope will send a positive message out to the wider community.”
Fourteen-year-old Rhianne Stewart, who goes to school in Lozells, is one of the young people taking part in the Eco-Factor and has written a play to show the difference between how western and third world countries use energy and water.
“The play shows people little things they can do to make a difference like switching off lights to save energy and turning off a tap instead of it dripping. It’s all important to help save the planet for the future,” explained Rhianne.
The Eco-Factor project builds on other eco-work already pioneered by Family Housing Association, with its partners Urban Living and Birmingham City Council. These joint schemes include the delivery of the Green Doctor / Home Energy Advisor service, the installation of solar panels on homes in Summerfield and South Lozells and the de-conversion of older properties into energy-efficient homes.