Archives for posts with tag: John Tyrrell

City history, within living memory – 2: City councillors travel to Bethlehem, 2004

January 21, 2013 //

John TyrrellOn his blog, Birmingham’s John Tyrrell records that in 2004 a group of Birmingham councillors went on an unofficial, privately funded fact-finding visit to Bethlehem. The party included Cllr Phillip Murphy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Mick Rice, Cabinet Member for Community Affairs, Cllr Susannah McCorry, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Health, Cllrs Shah Jehan, Fiona Williams, Cllr Ansar Ali Khan and – taking the movie – Cllr John Tyrrell, Cabinet Member for Transportation and Street Services.

It was uncertain whether the visitors would get in due to “military operations” taking place. The day before, they had been in Jerusalem when a bus was blown up by a police officer from Bethlehem. As a result the army went in to blow up his house home to a dozen or so others. This video included a visit to the ruins and interview with friends and family and makes memorable viewing. John writes:

Israeli settlements built on site of pine forest Israeli settlements being built on the site of a pine forest

“The film begins with a drive through the narrow streets of Bethlehem to the Church of the Nativity. The commentary is by George Rishmawi, then working as a guide for the Holy Land Trust. Our driver is Isa (Jesus). We go inside the church where age old murals are peppered with gunshot holes. We met President Yasser Arafat earlier that day in January 2004 who had invited us to stay for dinner when we learned that we may not be able to get to Bethlehem, but we decided to go anyway.

“In Bethlehem we see the electrified barbed wire, since replaced by a huge concrete wall and then buildings shelled by Israeli gunships and artillery. We visited a home to see locally made Re Israel & Palestine media smallerartifacts, speak to the owner of the empty Bethlehem Hotel and end the day at a well-known restaurant in a Bedouin tent.” (Ed) The man opposite listed several tragic occurrences which had led a local youngster to the path of violence and called for truthful reporting after describing the media’s comparative lack of concern for Palestinian deaths.

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Categories Birmingham, City Council, History

The “If only we were told” project in North West Birmingham

September 12, 2012 //


“Talk to Us” Project members Ashok Patel (Ashraya Community Initiative), David George (Servol Community Trust), Aiysha Aliyu (COPE Black Mental Health Foundation), John Tyrrell (Sikh Community & Youth Service UK) and Dorothy Vuong (Vietnamese Development Centre) at the Mind Fair, Birmingham

John Tyrrell, project manager, sent news of the “Talk to Us” Project.

Funded by Capacity Builders as a Change-Up Project, it covers the West Midlands Region and is aimed at supporting community-based organisations build their capacity to bid for commissioning for advocacy, counselling and advice services relating to current mental health legislation.

In Birmingham support from the Commissioner for Independent Mental Capacity Advocates (IMCA) has led to 8 people from community-based organisations being accepted for training as IMCA. The Sikh Community and Youth service, UK applied for funding organising a well attended Conference at Aston Villa in June, 2007.

In North West Birmingham various organisations are involved in the “Talk to Us” Project so that we can develop skills in providing talking therapies, advocacy and advice services which are culturally sensitive and in a range of languages: Afro-Caribbean Millenium Centre, Age Concern (Perry Barr), Ashraya Community Initiative, Asian Rationalist Society (Britain), Aston Vision, Cannon Street Memorial Baptist Church, COPE Black Mental Health Foundation, Mashriq (Women), Nishkam Centre, Servol Community Trust, Sikh Community and Youth Service UK, UK Asian Women’s Centre, Vietnamese Development Centre, and the Women’s Help Centre.

Other organisations based outside but serving the area are Birmingham Citizen Advocacy, Chinese Community Centre and Trident Housing Association (Care and Support).

To learn more visit this website.
To read the text of the September newsletter visit John’s blog.
 

John’s comment has now been added to show people not familiar with these issues the desperate need for this work.

 
 
 
 
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Categories Birmingham

Former Cabinet Member for Transport welcomes the Metro extension

May 13, 2012 //
The issue of permanently relegating bus-stops to the city’s outskirts has provoked lengthy comments. John Tyrrell points out some advantages of a Metro:
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“In 2004 when I was Cabinet Member for Transport I tried hard to move the Metro forward with far wider scope. Proposed were lines to Great Barr, Fiveways and beyond including Hagley Road, Eastside etc.
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“I use trams, trains and buses and I have to say the latter is the poorest not only in image but in comfort and reliability (time keeping etc.).
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“I use park and ride at the Hawthorns and often have to make a change at Moor Street and walk to New Street. I admit I need the exercise, but as I get older, or have heavy cases to deal with I could do with integrated transport ie the tram linking with New Street. You could have a bus service, but that means lugging heavy cases twice, and it’s difficult getting them on to buses.”
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Categories Birmingham, City Council