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Stirchley Baths

Activity Plan

10 June 2013

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Stirchley Baths Community ‘Hub’

Activity Plan

Prepared for

Birmingham City Council

by

Dr Suzanne Carter and Simon Buteux Birmingham Conservation Trust

P O Box 28 Birmingham

B1 1TU

www.birminghamconservationtrust.org Tel: 0121 303 2664 Email: suzannecarterBCT@gmail.com simon.a.buteux@birmingham.gov.uk

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“The baths, they may have come and gone, but memories live on and on”. “Stirchley Baths the building site in the middle of Stirchley – it will be great to have it open as a community space at the heart of the area”. “At last light at the end of the tunnel”. “Stirchley needs to find its heart again. A hub for everyone is what is needed; children, teenagers, families, older people, you and me!” “Used to go swimming here every week with my best friend Sarah, we used to take our sandwiches for lunch and spend all day there… I walk past it every day and it always makes me smile thinking about the good times all them years ago”. “With the right care and attention a once iconic building could be restored to its former glory and provide that link with history that Birmingham so often ignores, and we can’t let it happen again!”

Comments by local residents

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Engaging Local Communities and Stakeholders

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1. INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT 1.1 The Significance of Stirchley Baths 7 1.2 Ownership and Management of the Site 9 1.3 Heritage Lottery Fund Aims 9 1.4 Aims and Objectives of the Activity Plan 10 1.5 Preparing the Activity Plan 11 1.6 Structure of the Report 11 1.7 Abbreviations Used in the Report 12 2. WHERE ARE WE NOW? 2.1 Current Condition of the Baths and Current Community Facilities 15 2.2 Current Users 15 2.3 Current Activities and Volunteering 18 2.4 Current Commitment to Involving People 19 2.5 Community Consultation 20 2.6 Competitor Analysis and Potential Partners 21 2.7 Non-user/Potential-user Research and Opportunities 23 2.8 Barriers to Involvement 24 3 WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE? 3.1 Our Aspirations 27 3.2 Our Target Audiences 27 3.3 Marketing: Reaching New Audiences 30 3.4 Actions to Remove Barriers for Target Audiences 31 3.5 Aims for Activities 36 3.6 Recommendations (targets) for Participation and Learning 37 3.7 Potential Partners and Collaborations 49 4 HOW DO WE INTEND TO GET THERE? 4.1 Action Plan 52 4.2 Key Recommendations 77 5 MEASURES OF SUCCESS 5.1 Evaluation 78 6. CONCLUSION 78 7. RESEARCH SOURCES 79 8. APPENDICES

A: List of Consultees 81 B: Timetable for Stirchley Community Centre (June 2013) 84 C: Heritage Development Officer Commission Job Description 85 D: Community Consultation Notes 90 E: Sample Volunteer Role Descriptions 101 F: History Group Workshop Notes 104 G: Key History Dates 107 H: English Heritage Listing Description 108

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Location of Stirchley Baths Current Stirchley Community Centre Stirchley Baths British Oak Public House Stirchley Library Indoor Bowls Centre

Copyright Bluesky

Co-operative Superstore Farmfoods Stirchley Park Stirchley is about four miles south of Birmingham City Centre. Stirchley Baths are located on the historic gyratory, on the corner of Bounville Lane and Hazelwell Street, heading towards the city centre. The Pershore Road runs through Stirchley, as does the railway line, River Rea and canal.

“Everything flows through Stirchley. Stirchley Baths can be place where you can rest, contemplate what community is – a reason to stop”.

(Local resident)

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The Significance of Stirchley Baths

Images bottom right Jane Baker B/W images courtesy of Stirchley Community Group

Centre image taken from Stirchley Baths Conservation Management Plan

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1.1 Significance of Stirchley Baths

The Foundation Stone on this building was laid by William Adlington Cadbury 19th July 1910 on a Site Given by Cadbury Brothers: A.W. Cross, Surveyor. J.B. Osborne, Architect. W. Bishop, Builder”.

(Inscription on bronze plaque, formally on Stirchley Baths (dating from c1959)

Stirchley Baths is arguably one of Stirchley’s most iconic building. For local people alive today, the Baths have always been there, and many over the age of about thirty remember when the Baths were still functioning; the building evokes a rich variety of memories. The building is loved too for the richness and quality of its architecture, the craftsmanship and attention to detail. Derelict, the building stands as a symbol of decline, a sad reminder of past glories. Restored back to its former glory (and from the outside this will be very apparent) the building will be a symbol of a proud and vibrant community. People appreciate this; indeed, as community consultation has shown, they are passionate about it. Because of its heritage, Stirchley Baths offers qualities as a community centre that no new purpose-built community centre could hope to match. The historical significance of Stirchley Baths is presented in the Conservation Management Plan1; extracts of which are below. Stirchley Baths as it was originally known, was designed by architect John Osborne and built in 1910 by a local builder Mr E Crowder for the total sum of £10,000.

The land was made available by Cadbury’s to the King Norton and Northfield Urban District Council and the building was financed by the Local Government Board. The original intention was to provide a bath house as a community facility for an increasing local population many of whom were working for Cadbury who were experiencing a rapid expansion of their factory. The land was offered to build a ‘public swimming baths, slipper or spray baths and washhouse’. At 4pm on July 19th 19102 William Adlington Cadbury laid the Foundation Stone and the following July (1911) George Cadbury Junior formally opened the building. On November 9th 1911 Kings Norton was annexed as part of the Birmingham Extension Order (along with Aston and Handsworth). From this date the facility was known as Bournville Lane Baths. There was a single swimming pool (75ft x 30ft) with spectator gallery, 46 demountable dressing cubicles at the rear of the gallery, 37 on the promenade, 20 private washing (or ‘slipper’) baths for men and women and a small steam (Russian or Vapour) bath, capable of holding six people. There was also a small laundry. In 1958, 52 metal dressing cubicles were erected around the promenade3. Separate changing areas were located adjacent to the pool along with suites of private baths for men and women.

1 Text referenced to Stirchley Baths Community Hub Conservation Management Plan, BDP where

otherwise stated. 2 Key dates are listed in Appendix G

3 Steve Beauchampé’s notes supplied on Bournville Lane Baths.

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The main entrance was located in grand style on the corner of the road junction between Bournville Lane and Hazelwood Street and maximum use was made of the available land as the curving façade followed the line of the pavement. The initial idea was to utilise water by boring for a well, but after considerable attempts and costs the plan was abandoned and the decision was taken to connect to the mains water supply; a first for Baths constructed in Birmingham at that time. The success of the use of mains water also included a new system of aeration and filtration for the Baths’ water. The design of the new Baths also allowed for a flexibility in use as the Baths were not to be used in the winter months. Instead they were to be used as a dance floor with the flooring being stored in an external shed. The small changing closets situated alongside the pool were to include an ingenious hinged operation back to the wall to allow greater room on the dance floor when the pool was not being used. The structure and finishes to the Baths was kept simple with predominantly white ceramic tiles although other colours were used on the walls and ceramic tiles on the floor. The choice of wood in part of the structure and linings was carefully researched with treatment applied to withstand the moisture and humidity levels, and despite the ingress of water over the years has withstood the test of time remarkably well. No changes took place to the building until after the Second World War when two hot shower baths were installed. Improvements were made to improve the welfare of the bathers with the introduction of chlorine in 1955 while the Clean Air Act of 1956 resulted in a change to oil fired burning appliances. In 1964, the Finnish Government provided a new Sauna Suite as a gift to Birmingham to promote that European Country and in 1977 these facilities were expanded to provide a further suite when the washing baths were closed. This new facility also included a television lounge and 6 beds. A multi-gym was installed in place of the original Finnish Sauna and in 1978 the two solariums were removed to be replaced by two sunbeds. The only other alteration to the Baths was the inclusion in 1973 of a ‘Mikvah’, an immersion bath used by the local Jewish community which involved the use of collected and heated rainwater. The presence of this bath can still be seen today. Stirchley Baths has been unused since 1988, slowly ravaged by the weather and wildlife since its closure. The Bournville Lane Baths were first listed by English Heritage on November 20th 1998 under the title of Stirchley Public Baths and arose out of a concern for the building which had lain empty for 12 years. The listing acknowledged then the importance of the building.4

4 Listing description can be found in Appendix H.

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1.2 Ownership and Management of the Site 1.2.1 The Baths are owned by Birmingham City Council (BCC). They have been unused

since they closed in 1988. The responsibility for the condition of the building lies with Birmingham Property Services and it is this team that is working with architects Acivico to undertake the repairs to the building. Birmingham City Council has a devolution and localism agenda and is divided into ten districts. The Baths are located in Selly Oak District who is the client for the project. Any management of the building in the last 25 years has been limited to keeping the envelope of the building as sound as possible to prevent water ingress and vandalism.

1.2.2 BCC are in the process of replacing the planning guidance for Stirchley, called The

Stirchley Framework 1994 (Amended 2002), with a new non-statutory document which will outline the Council’s aspirations for the area. This new framework will be released for public consultation later in 2013. This will include the wider regeneration plans for Stirchley; the most immediate is the building of a Tesco superstore on the Hazelwell Lane Development site. The sale of the land on which the current Community Centre and Indoor Bowls Centre stand gives rise to a capital receipt which secures the council’s capital investment in the redevelopment of the Baths. The long-delays in approving the plans for the Hazelwell Lane Development site has had a major negative impact on the restoration of SB, for which local councillors and residents have been campaigning for over a decade.

1.2.3 In terms of political support within the Council, the District Chair Cllr Karen McCarthy

and current Bournville Ward Councillors Tim Huxtable, Rob Sealy and Phillip Walking all attend the Community Stakeholders Group meetings and support the regeneration plans. Former local councillor Nigel Dawkins (2000-2012) championed the rescue of the Baths for 12 years whilst the previous political regime was in power. He arranged the well-attended open days in 2008 and 2011 for local people and heritage enthusiasts. Over 600 people queued around the Baths to have their chance to glimpse the pool area in 2011 during a two hour period; testament to the interest and city-wide importance of this historic building.

1.3 The Heritage Lottery Fund’s Strategic Aims are to:

Conserve the UK’s diverse heritage for present and future generations to experience and enjoy

Help more people, and a wider range of people, to take an active part in, and make decisions about, their heritage

Help people to learn about their own and other people’s heritage.

HLF describe helping people to take an active part as Participation and suggest three ways in which this can be achieved:

Creating opportunities for people to volunteer

Helping the community to take an active role in the project, including helping people to make decisions about the heritage

Developing new and/or wider audiences for our heritage. In the context of ‘helping people to learn about the heritage’, which HLF describe as Learning, they consider this to involve offering everyone opportunities to develop

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their understanding of heritage, in an active way, appropriate to their needs, interests and background. They suggest this may be achieved through:

Interpreting the heritage

Creating opportunities for people to gain new, or increased, skills

Holding events and activities to help the general public, or particular groups of people, to learn about the heritage.

This outline Activity Plan sets out what we would like to achieve, which is not capital works or physical works to the heritage.

1.4 Aims and Objectives of the Activity Plan 1.4.1 There are many ways in which people can become involved with heritage sites like

Stirchley Baths, as visitors, volunteers and in their management and governance. Research carried out for the Heritage Lottery Fund found that the following sectors are under-represented and excluded from visiting and involvement as volunteers in the heritage sector:

Those below the age of 30

Ethnic minority groups

Those on low incomes

Those without access to transport facilities

Those in lower socio-economic groups. 1.4.2 This Activity Plan will begin to identify barriers to participation at Stirchley Baths and

suggest ways in which those barriers can be removed. Research shows that common barriers to visiting heritage sites can include:

User perceptions, particularly regarding relevance

Lack of specific facilities

Lack of information and awareness

Poor physical access to the resource

Poor physical access at the resource

Limited intellectual access

Management ethos.

1.4.3 The main aims of this outline Activity Plan for Stirchley Baths are to:

Identify existing audiences (Community Centre)

Identify the needs and expectations of users

Identify the needs and expectations of non-users

Identify target audiences

Identify barriers to use

Suggest ways those barriers can be removed

Suggest ways to increase the number of visitors without damaging the significance of the site

Suggest ways to improve the quality of the experience for visitors.

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1.4.4 Key objectives of the outline Activity Plan:

To encourage local residents to feel ownership of and pride in the Stirchley Baths Project

To ensure the history and heritage of SB informs and plays a pivotal role in re-purposing the building as a community facility

To build strong local partnerships with existing community groups to support delivery of a programme of history and heritage-related activity

To use heritage as a resource to develop new audiences to SB; to encourage wider local community use (beyond attending existing community centre classes or activities) and audiences from further afield

Develop opportunities for local people to become actively engaged as volunteers and to learn new skills

To highlight the significance of the Baths as a symbol of Stirchley’s Co-operative history and the relationship with industry and the community

To create a valuable resource for education and life-long learning. 1.5 Preparing the Activity Plan 1.5.1 We have produced this Activity Plan by:

Regular meetings with the Stirchley Baths Community Stakeholders Group and Programming sub group

Desk-based research

Social media campaign

Market research through focus group discussions with community groups in the local area

Extensive public consultation with local residents through events

Looking at existing best practice to formulate the actions. 1.5.2 The research has sought to obtain an understanding of the following:

The site and its historical and cultural significance, especially for local people

Who are the existing users of Stirchley Community Centre and what are their views and opinions about the Baths

What are the views of local people (non-community centre users) about the Stirchley Baths and what would make them want to visit to find out about the heritage of the building

What can we do to break down the perceived (or real) barriers for people to engage with heritage learning

Which groups should we be targeting and why

What activities or proposals should we be introducing to engage with these groups in order to break down barriers and encourage them to take part in a ‘heritage experience’ at Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’.

1.6 Structure of the Report 1.6.1 The report structure is based on the HLF guidance note Planning Activities in

Heritage Projects (2008):

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In Section 1 Introduction and Context we looked at the significance of Stirchley Baths, aims of the HLF and of this Activity Plan. In Section 2 Where we are now? our focus is on our organisation, our audiences, activities and our current commitment to involving people. Section 3 Where do we want to be? looks at how we will involve people in the project, and the difference the project will make, and in Section 4 How do we intend to get there? we offer an Action Plan of work covering interpretation, volunteering, community engagement and Audience Development, learning, training and marketing. This will have a plan of deliverable goals over a three year period, year one beginning when the works do. Finally, in Section 5 Measures of success we outline ways in which we will evaluate our project.

The purpose of this Activity Plan is to accompany Birmingham City Council’s round 2 application to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

1.7 Abbreviations Used in the Report

BCC Birmingham City Council BCT Birmingham Conservation Trust BAME Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic SBCSG Stirchley Baths Community Stakeholder Group HDO Heritage Development Officer HLF Heritage Lottery Fund SB Stirchley Baths

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The Current State of the Building

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“Stirchley needs a heart and foundation stone to anchor itself around in order to thrive. The Baths can become an enabler and a reason for people to stop”. “When I was fifteen I used to go with a friend and we loved to dance, the boys were quite plentiful and we used to love it when you would get tagged. We liked the waltzes and quick steps. You can’t believe that you were dancing on top of what used to be the swimming pool […] The atmosphere was lovely, really lively, you’d have a good laugh. It was really great fun”. “I used to come there with my school and in holiday times and spend quite a lot of time there. (The scheme) looks promising for my children and myself. We can enjoy it as a family.” “You’ve got a bath, a wooden thing you came out the baths on to, a chair to put your clothes on, that was it. No frills. You sat in a wooden chair waiting for your turn”. “I think (moving Karate class to Stirchley Baths) may encourage more people to join us from the local community” […] I think moving to a building of that sort will generate interest, generate questions [..] I think there will be a nice ambience, and bring a bit of personality to the area that we’re training in”. “When the Baths became disused, we were concerned about the building and so I decided to get involved with it, because I am a resident. We want the best that it can be alternatively. In one sense, we are going to get rid of an eyesore, but also we are keeping a building which is listed. It’s going to be better than just a community centre.”

Comments by local residents and stakeholders

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2. WHERE ARE WE NOW? 2.1 Condition of the Baths and Current Facilities 2.1.1 Stirchley Baths closed in 1988 and has since been stood empty, deteriorating rapidly

in recent years. Much of the site has been open to the elements. Surprisingly many of the original features do remain and as part of the scheme can be salvaged and re-used. Public access is no longer possible. The last open day, which had restricted access, was in 2011.

2.2 Current Users There are no current users of Stirchley Baths. Figures below show current users of

Stirchley Community Centre and Stirchley Library to provide a realistic projection of visits. It is hoped that the current community user groups in the centre will transfer to Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’ when it is opened. This will depend greatly on whether alternative accommodation can be found during the three-month period between the Community Centre closing and Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’ opening. During our engagement with some of these user groups we learnt that although there is obvious concern and uncertainty about displacement during this period, the groups are all excited to be moving into a re-purposed historic building and the improved facilities this will bring.

“It’s been looking a big eyesore for years now. Let’s hope it is a success because we’re looking forward to moving into there for our dances […] we are here most Tuesdays and we’ve been dancing here now for 22 years”.

Ken Seeney, member of Stirchley Tea Dance at Stirchley Community Centre) (audio transcription, www.stirchleybaths.org).

2.2.2 Stirchley Community Centre and Library Visits

2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013

Stirchley Community Centre 15,108 18,316 19,503

Stirchley Library (for comparison) 37,400 (3166 active borrowers)

For the past three years there has been an annual increase in visits to the Community Centre, with an average of around 1,600 visits per month in the last 12 months. There will be a natural increase in visitors at SB due to the increased capacity for room hire, opportunities to host larger-scale events and a café which will be open during community centre opening times. The programme of heritage-related activity will also bring in additional numbers of people to the building through events, school visits, and ‘other reasons’ to visit the building due to the ‘heritage experience’ it has to offer.

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2.2.3 Profile of local residents

Stirchley (B30 postcode) has a very mixed community in terms of income, tenure and age group. The MOSAIC Experian system of categorisation defines the majority of residents with a B30 postcode from the following groups:

Foot on the Ladder Type H36 Young single couples who have recently bought their first small house which consumes a large proportion of their income

Global Fusion Type N60 Young working people living in metropolitan terraces from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds

Production Manager Type F25 Middle income married couples owning unpretentious semi-detached housing

Small Wage Owners Type M56 Owners living in inexpensive private terraces in a range of relatively low paid occupations

Stressed Borrowers Type I41 Middle aged people renting or owning in council areas, many of whom are over stretched with debt

Back to Back Basics Type N57 Young sharers and couples with young children starting out in low price, older terraces

Meals on Wheels Type L52 Some of the oldest people in society who have reasonable pensions, living in accommodation where they receive appropriate care

Settled Ex-Tenants Type I38 Older couples whose children have flown the nest in low skilled occupations living in ex-council housing.

While MOSAIC classifies people using general categories rather than offers a bespoke population study, it does suggest that there will be a range of potential audiences to the SB community ‘hub’. A shared characteristic of all the ‘types’ identified above is low income. This should be reflected in any pricing strategies, especially for public third party events or performances.

2.2.4 Area and Neighbourhood Statistics

Stirchley Baths is marked with a red dot (arrow) on the map below. The yellow shading highlights the defined Neighbourhood Area Birmingham 112b, the orange and yellow combined is the Super Output Area Middle Layer Birmingham 112.

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Population:

According to the 2011 Census data there are 1,595 people living in the Stirchley Neighbourhood and 7,726 people living in the Area. Because the Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’ will serve a wider community rather than a neighbourhood, the profile of potential users is based on the Super Output Area Middle Layer boundary.

Age:

In 2011,

The largest age group living in the Area is 30-44 (25.5%). This is higher than average compared to Birmingham (20.8%).

The second largest age group is 45-59 (19%). Again this is higher than average compared to Birmingham as a whole (16.4%).

5.9% of residents are aged 15-19 which is lower than average compared to Birmingham (7.5%).

Ethnicity:

In 2011,

85.7% of residents define themselves as white British, Irish or Other White.

4.1% of residents define themselves of mixed heritage.

6.1% of residents define themselves as Asian/Asian British, including Chinese.

3.6% of residents define themselves as Black/African/Caribbean/Black British.

0.6% of residents define themselves as Arab or from other ethnic groups. Stirchley and surrounding area has a predominantly white population. Around 1,600 individuals living in this Area define themselves as non-white British, and therefore BAME.

Deprivation Indicators within the Area and Neighbourhood:

50% of the 3286 households in the Area are not deprived in any dimension5.

44% of households are deprived in 1 or 2 dimensions.

6% of households are deprived in 2 or 3 dimensions. Within the Neighbourhood in which SB is located the Living Environment Deprivation Indicator data from 2010 suggests that the area is amongst the most deprived in the country in this respect.

5 All households in the area at the time of the 2011 Census with one of the selected deprivation

dimensions. The dimensions of deprivation are indicators based on the four selected household characteristics - Employment (any member of a household not a full-time student is either unemployed or long-term sick); Education (no person in the household has at least level 2 education, and no person aged 16-18 is a full-time student); Health and disability (any person in the household has general health 'bad or very bad' or has a long term health problem.); and Housing (Household's accommodation is either overcrowded, with an occupancy rating -1 or less, or is in a shared dwelling, or has no central heating).

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Disability and long-term health problems:6

84% of residents in the Area do not have a long-term health problem or disability

8% of residents define their day-to-day activities limited a lot and 8% define their day-to-day activities as limited a little.

Economic Activity:

3.9% of residents (aged 16-74) are Long-term Sick or Disabled

Youth unemployment is below average for both Birmingham and the West Midlands

The number of residents who are long-term unemployed is also below the average for the city and region at 1.6%.

2.2.5 What we can surmise from the community profiling above is that the largest potential

audience group for the ‘heritage offer’ of Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’ (based on statistics and MOSAIC Classification) is White, aged 30-59, employed but on a relatively low income, with or without children. They live in older terraced property which is characteristic of dwellings in the Stirchley area. However, the Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’ will serve a wide variety of local residents from across the age spectrum; from cradle to the grave.

2.3 Current Activities and Volunteering 2.3.1 Local residents who sit on the Stirchley Baths Community Stakeholders Group

(SBCSG) have been meeting quarterly since 2012. A sub-group of local people interested in the future programming activities for Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’ are meeting monthly during this development phase in a voluntary capacity. The motivation to be involved for some of the group has been captured through audio on www.stirchleybaths.org. Future opportunities for further volunteering are outlined later in this document.

2.3.2 A ‘Friends of Stirchley Baths’ group was set up in 2011 by former councillor Nigel

Dawkins. Ownership of the group has been retained and not shared. The Stirchley Baths Community Stakeholders Group has succeeded this group as a supporters group for the SB project.

2.3.3 During this development phase volunteers from Birmingham Conservation Trust, the

SBCSG and a local student writing her dissertation on Stirchley Baths, have supported a series of community events. These have included two ‘Splash Back in Time’ events and ‘Put Your Hand Up Community Art Challenge’ event. A passing local resident also offered his help on an event day and has since expressed an interest in further local volunteering opportunities. Alongside event support, a small group of volunteers have interviewed residents and taken photographs to be used on www.stirchleybaths.org and related social media sites.

2.3.4 Social media company Podnosh was commissioned during this development phase

to set up a dedicated Stirchley Baths website/blog along with related social media;

6 All people usually resident in the area at the time of the 2011 Census with a health problem or

disability that had lasted, or was expected to last, at least 12 months, and limited daily activities a lot. This includes problems related to old age.

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twitter and facebook. Podnosh have provided the staff resource to create a highly relevant and interesting social commentary through interviews and reminiscence sessions with stakeholders and local residents. We have also reported on community engagement activity in the preparation of this Activity Plan.

This social media campaign has really generated interest in a short space of time for the project and provided an effective vehicle to engage people in the development process. At the time of writing this document www.stirchleybaths.org has been live for 10 weeks and had 1023 different people visiting the website. They visited 1844 times and looked at 4437 pages. Statistics show that 52% of visits were from the UK, and of those visits 58% were from Birmingham. This equates to 556 visits from people in the Birmingham area. At the time of writing @StirchleyBaths had 245 followers on Twitter and 69 people who ‘Like’ the facebook page. The average reach is around 200 people, although some weeks have seen 640, 609, 488 and 433 people updated and informed about the SB project.

Conscious of the fact that not everyone has access to a computer, we have placed hard copy printouts of the blog posts in both Stirchley Library and Stirchley Community Centre for people to read.

2.3.5 Place Prospectors were commissioned to create a temporary, participatory artwork

linked to the development of the project. They ran an event called Sink or Swim on 8 June which involved over 200 local residents who came to pledge their support to the community ‘hub’ once it is restored.

2.4 Current Commitment to Involving People

Birmingham City Council has a robust Equal Opportunities Policy and staff are committed to providing a welcome for all members of the local communities as well as visitors. Indeed the sign at the entrance to the current Community Centre and Indoor Bowls Centre says: “This centre welcomes people from all sections of the community”.

“I would say (The Community Centre) it’s at the heart of it, it’s extending from the heart, it’s over flowing the heart. There are so many different sections of the community within Stirchley area and I think we represent almost everyone one”.

(Sue Jackson, Community Development and Initiatives Worker, Stirchley Community Centre. Audio transcription,

www.stirchleybaths.org).

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2.5 Community Consultation 2.5.1 There has already been significant community consultation and ongoing engagement

in the Selly Oak District in the development of the SB proposals, in particular around the design of the scheme. Architect Mark Sloane from Acivico said:

“The interesting thing about this project is the community engagement. We’ve been to so many public meetings and I don’t think we have ever had a scheme which has had so much, and so many people wanting to know what is going on. The amount of people who have turned up at the forums and public meetings we’ve had has been incredible really”.

(Audio transcription, www.stirchleybaths.org).

The focus of our consultation work for this report is on heritage-related activity, learning and participation.

2.5.2 We have engaged over 870 people of all ages and backgrounds in the consultation

process to help us develop this Activity Plan. See Appendix A for a list of consultees and participation events and numbers. Community engagement with the project is on-going. This also included the Sink or Swim event which was delivered by Place Prospectors as part of this development phase.

2.5.3 We have employed a variety of methodologies to engage with people and develop

this work.

These have included:

A stall at Stirchley Community Market

Public ‘Community Art Challenge’ event at Stirchley Library and outside SB

2 reminiscence ‘Splash Back in Time’ events

Face to face interviews

Displays at Stirchley Library, Stirchley Community Centre, District Office (with opportunity for public comment), St Andrews Healthcare (for Adult Learners Week)

Presentations and focus group work with: o Stirchley Baths Community Stakeholders Group o Stirchley Neighbourhood Forum o Stirchley ‘Detached’ Youth project o Parents and Toddler Groups (including Community Centre user group and

‘Story Tots’ at Stirchley Library) o Parents of children who attend Arabic lessons (Community Centre user

group) o Members of Stirchley Stitchers (Community Centre user group) o Patients in the mental health recovery forum at St Andrews Healthcare,

Stirchley o School Council representatives at Stirchley Community School o Junior Assembly at St Edwards Catholic Primary School o DeafPLUS o Friends of Stirchley Park

Consultation exercise with heritage enthusiasts at Coffin Works tours run by Birmingham Conservation Trust

Social media campaign

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We have also been raising awareness through promotional material including flyers at the Love Stirchley More Festival in February, a poster campaign in shops along Pershore Road and letters were sent home with 600 pupils from the two closest primary schools.

During this engagement process, people were asked to contribute an idea on a history and heritage-related activity they would be interested in, a memory, a comment or a statement of support for the project. The majority of these were written on people’s own (decorated) handprints. These were gathered during some focus groups, at presentations, at Stirchley Community Market and at a public event on 6 April at which a total of 282 hands were pegged around the outside of SB in a visual display – a show of hands – to support the Stirchley Baths Project.

2.6 Competitor Analysis and Potential Partners 2.6.1 There are a few other publically accessible listed heritage buildings in the immediate

local area: They are:

Stirchley Library (Grade II)

The British Oak Public House (Grade II)

Men’s Pavilion (Bournville Club) (Grade II).

2.6.2 None of these building interpret their heritage or run heritage-focussed activities. As such, there is little competition to the ‘heritage experience’ that SB proposes. Indeed, the activity programme at SB may be a catalyst for owners of other locally historic buildings to interpret their properties.

2.6.3 Stirchley Library is a neighbouring building also managed by Selly Oak District. There are opportunities to work in partnership with Stirchley Library on heritage events and initiatives as well as on a practical level. For example, installing a book returns box when they are closed and running library events within SB.

2.6.4 Behind the library is Stirchley Park which is often referred to as ‘Stirchley’s best kept secret’ and the ‘hidden park’, something the Friends of Stirchley Park are working hard to change. The Friends was set up about 12 months ago and runs small family and environmental events and well as making improvements to the park. They are keen to work with SB on collaborative events and activities in the future.

2.6.5 The Co-operative owns the locally listed Friends Meeting House which neighbours SB to the right. This semi-derelict building has stood empty for a number of years and is boarded up. There are no plans currently to redevelop the site or bring it back into use.

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2.6.6 In terms of local partnerships there is already a growing cultural offer within the area and SB would seek to develop collaborations in order to develop its three year (and beyond) programme of heritage-related activity. Please see section 3.8 for further details on partnerships and collaborations.

Local groups include:

Stirchley Happenings, a local resident-led arts group who run the popular ‘Travelling Bug House’ pop-up film nights in unusual buildings around the area. The group also includes a founding member of Stirchley Community Market. http://stirchleyhappenings.wordpress.com/

Place Prospectors, a CIC, have been involved in a number of community initiatives over the last few years and are currently working alongside BCC to develop ideas for legacies for the Stirchley Baths Project. Previously they have worked with local residents and businesses to deliver a series of arts and heritage projects which have looked to Stirchley’s past as a way to focus on and address issues within future regeneration. These include Stirchley Prospects, Love Stirchley and Love Stirchley More. They also delivered a short term project called Sink or Swim to support the development of the Baths Project. http://www.prospectors.org.uk/

Artsoak is an annual arts event run by the Selly Oak District Arts Forum across the Selly Oak District. In 2012 and 2013 this has involved collaborations with Stirchley Happenings and St Andrew’s Healthcare. The SB project can contribute to this annual event through participatory arts activities to interpret aspects of the history of the building. http://artsforumsellyoak.wordpress.com/ Currently the arts champion for the area is City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) and Stirchley Baths Community ‘hub’ could be potentially their new home.

Stirchley Neighbourhood Forum, which has been acknowledged within the District for their good work, has a membership of residents with a keen interest in local history. They have expressed an interest in working with the SB Project to set up a local history group and create a publically accessible resource of local history, including community history and an oral history archive. http://www.stirchley.co.uk/forum.html Currently information about the history of the area is provided on 6 historical information panels located within walking distance of each other, and in a handful of pamphlets in Stirchley Library. Images of Stirchley are found in an old publication by Linda Chew and a few historic images are found on www.stirchleyonline.co.uk.

The Stirchley Urban Resource Network was set up in 2012 and is designed as a

virtual space to support Stirchley’s businesses and residents. The network is made up of people and organisations, and exists to empower people to take part in Stirchley’s future; to promote Stirchley’s unique identity and generate opportunities for the area. This network could become an important mechanism to promote volunteering opportunities at Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’ and share resources for the benefit of the community. http://stirchleyurban.wordpress.com/about/.

2.6.7 The SB project also has the opportunity, especially during the first year of construction work, to support the neighbouring community buildings through room hire and collaborative activities. This includes the TASCOs (social club) building on the edge of the new Tesco development. Although recently closed at the time of writing, a group of local residents are looking at ways to bring the building back into use. Opposite SB is the former Hazelwell Street institute which is now home to Stirchley Community Church who have large rooms and performance space for hire.

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2.6.8 Birmingham Adult Education Service also complements the cultural offer locally, running a wide range of arts & crafts courses within the Selly Oak District. They have expressed an interest in running an adult education programme at the Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’ in the future.

2.6.9 We have learnt, through the engagement process for the SB project, that during the last few years Stirchley has begun to develop its own community strategies towards change, programmes of engagement activities around the Arts and a sense of cooperation; the Stirchley Community Market and Stirchley Stores cooperative, alongside the increased presence of grassroots organisations and networks (outlined above) are evidence of this. The learning and participation aims of the SB Project will provide further opportunities for local people to get involved in cherishing and championing its heritage buildings and creating resources so people can learn about the past, including Stirchley Baths. There is already a strong local network of groups and people who can support delivery of these learning and participation objectives, in particular through creativity and the Arts, which can also enhance their own programmes. Selly Oak District is currently piloting for the city the notion of being a ‘cooperative district’ which promotes cooperative working and collaboration.

2.7 Non-user/Potential-user Research and Opportunities 2.7.1 Stirchley Community Centre already serves a diverse community with a wide range

of regular weekly activities including daily Arabic lessons, a weekly Tea dance and Pentecostal church service, sewing groups and parent and toddler groups which meet three times a week, and a range of sports groups. The full activity programme is in Appendix B. An estimated 19,503 visits to Stirchley Community Centre were recorded in 2012/13. This is an increase on previous years.

2.7.2 The primary motivation to visit the Community Centre is for classes, organised group

activity and room hire for parties and events. There is no ‘heritage offer’ or public café facilities to attract other users into the building. There is the potential to reach new non-community centre users at SB with an interesting programme of events, some of which will have an historical focus, and a nice café. The improved facilities will provide spaces for local people to meet each other, socialise and bring their family and friends to.

2.7.3 Consultation on the SB Project during the Coffin Works public tours, organised by

Birmingham Conservation Trust, highlighted the attraction of heritage enthusiasts to this type of heritage building; especially the conservation story. It is interesting that a high number of visits to www.stirchleybaths.org were from outside the UK, which again suggests that interest in this building extends to a much wider community of people interested in the history of the site. With the programming of special events, a continued online presence and a much developed historical resource, the ‘heritage experience’ provided by SB far extends the local area physical boundaries.

2.7.4 The missing user groups identified by Community Workers at the Community Centre

are young people aged 11-14 and 15-19. Activity for young people, or lack of, is something that has been highlighted on a number of occasions during the preparation for this report. According to the 2011 Census there were 878 young people aged between 10 and 19 living in the Area (see 2.2.5).

The structure of statutory youth provision within Birmingham is undergoing a period of change. The new ‘youth hubs’ based at Maypole and Longbridge are a bus and train ride away for young people in Stirchley and the local well-used youth house (The Den) is being closed down as part of this new structure. There are other youth

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clubs run locally by the Scouts and Community Church. BCC youth workers, who support young people, mainly from around the Pineapple Estate in Stirchley, are concerned that the changes, including in staffing, means the creation of a huge void. We involved eighteen of these young people in our consultation and together worked on some intergenerational project ideas to provide focussed sessions for young people at Stirchley Baths Community ‘hub’ during a three-year programme of activity.

2.8 Barriers to Involvement 2.8.1 Discussions with stakeholders and community members on physical barriers to

access concentrated on the redevelopment plans for the site, rather than the current condition of the building. The plans were approved by BCC Planning Committee on 21st March 2013. Recommendations for access into the building have been considered previously in the development of the scheme and reflect community consultation. As a result only a few physical barriers were identified within the consultation for this piece of work.

The approved scheme will provide ramped access into the building which will operate on a single ground floor level. Physical access via the car park remains a contentious issue for some people as both pedestrians and vehicles will use the same access routes. However, this is the only viable option available.

2.8.2 Individuals found it challenging to imagine or perceive any future barriers from a 2D architect’s drawings rather than a personal experience of the building. Many older Community Centre users said all they wanted was nice toilets and daylight. Young people were concerned about cost and if they would know anyone; they wouldn’t go into the building if they were not with their friends.

2.8.3 Current Community Centre users understandably feel anxious about what will happen to their group for the interim period between the Community Centre closing on 31st March 2014 and completion of building works at Stirchley Baths which are expected to be around October 2014 if funding is successful. Selly Oak District are aware of this and working hard to find a solution (as they had done previously before delays in the Tesco development), but the displacement of groups may mean that groups will not relocate and this may present a barrier to the future involvement of some communities.

2.8.4 Other barriers to involvement and recommendations to overcome barriers in relation

to target audiences will be identified in section 3.4.

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Focus Group Work

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“Fond memories of taking my toddler swimming at Stirchley Baths 28 years ago. So pleased it will have a new lease of life in the near future”. “Save Stirchley Baths 4 me”. “Keeping the community at heart! Long live the spirit of Stirchley Baths”. “A centre for Stirchley Community! Bringing people together and improving the area! “Stirchley Baths. The 1st step in regenerating Stirchley”. “It is such a beautiful building and will make such a difference to the community once restored!” “Let’s not let another piece for our heritage go to waste!! “Let’s preserve this piece of heritage. We do not want to lose lovely buildings like this”. “Been living in Stirchley for 13 years and this beautiful building has been unused for so long. I’d love for it to be a place for the community, used and loved again”.

Comments by local residents

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3 WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE? 3.1 Our Aspirations

The aspiration for both Selly Oak District and end users is to ensure the survival of the Grade II listed former Stirchley Baths building by restoring and refurbishing the historic fabric and repurposing the building as a multi-purpose community facility. As an 'urban village hall’ at the heart of the community it will act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the local area.

3.2 Our Target Audiences 3.2.1 In our consultations almost all the people we spoke to knew of the building and had

passed by on many occasions. They often commented on the current condition of the building, expressed sadness and a sense of loss; and if they were old enough, shared a memory or two about using Stirchley Baths in the past. First and foremost the Baths will serve the local Stirchley community as well as people from Selly Park, Cotteridge and Bournville. It is hoped that groups who currently use the Community Centre will relocate on completion of building works. SB also has the potential to reach a wider audience; local residents who are non-community centre users may be attracted by a programme of ‘heritage related’ events. The new café facility, with the potential for temporary exhibition space, the increased physical space and brand new ‘interior conservatory’ area with roof lanterns will also draw in new audiences. The building’s heritage offer will also create reasons for heritage enthusiasts from across the city to visit, as well as school groups who want to study a local resource.

3.2.2 We have identified out target audiences as:

a) Current Stirchley Community Centre Users

The current users of Stirchley Community Centre are diverse in ethnicity and age; the centre serves children and their parents through play schemes and parent and toddler groups; older residents through sewing clubs and dances; faith groups through church services or Arabic lessons; individuals through sporting activity. On relocation to SB, their purpose for visiting will be the same as before, but these current user groups also become a target audience for history and heritage-related activity. There were an estimated 19,503 recorded visits to Stirchley Community Centre in 2012/13 and an estimated 37,400 visits in 11/12 to Stirchley Library next door. This tells us that there will be a large audience indirectly experiencing the heritage of the Baths, even though the primary motivation to visit might be something entirely different.

b) Local residents (non-community centre users)

Local residents from Stirchley, Bournville, Selly Park, Cotteridge and surrounding communities (including ‘harder to reach’ groups) who do not currently attend the Community Centre for classes or activities may be attracted to the new facility; for its improved room hire and its café. A changing events programme outside its regular user groups and mixed-use spaces will encourage repeat visits from local people.

c) School children Local schools within walking distance will be particularly interested in taking year groups to Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’ if facilitated sessions by an ‘expert’ are

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offered. Realistically, as a busy centre with income generation targets, the school programme will be small, but provide a vital resource for teaching on local studies, history, geography and citizenship for primary school children within a 0-2 mile radius. A WWII package will attract both primary and secondary schools from further afield. d) Young people We identified earlier the projected lack of statutory youth provision in the area over the next few years. SB provides the opportunity for young people from Stirchley, Selly Park, Bournville and Cotteridge to get involved, learn new skills and volunteer during the three-year funded programme of activity, and after. Heritage may be a secondary driver for young people to participate, but heritage can also be a strong enabler. This group are a ‘missing’ audience for many heritage buildings. Making SB relevant to this age group is vital for engagement. e) Informal learning and heritage enthusiasts

Within this group there will be:

day visitors from families looking for ‘hands on’ activities and visitor facilities during weekend and school holidays. These may hail from across the city

empty nesters, over 65, interest and affinity groups such as the WI, U3A and curious minds (older couples). ‘Behind the Scenes’ and ‘hard hat’ tours during the restoration are expected to be popular with this audience group.

BCC’s Adult Education Service is proposing to run courses from SB, to hire rooms and extend its service into Stirchley. This will bring a new audience to SB, including those on ESOL courses. It is hoped that a bespoke local history course could be developed within the three-year funded programme of activity and delivered by PETAL (Preparation for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector) trained volunteers. f) Volunteers BCC staff carried out a Survey of Leisure and Use of Stirchley Community Centre at the Cotteridge Park Play Day 6th August 2009. Although a small sample, 7 out of 31 respondents indicated they would be interested in volunteering at the community centre; in the roles of fundraisers, play scheme workers and as advisors. BCC currently works directly with some volunteers through play schemes and other activities at the centre. Many of the community group activities and clubs hosted there are run by volunteers. The SB Project will present many opportunities to engage with volunteers from different age groups and ethnicities, mainly sourced from the local community. After the three-year programme of HLF-funded activity there will be a culture of volunteering at SB which can developed further by BCC or whomever takes on the long-term management of the building. The SB project is particularly interested in targeting people with skills to run events, document the restoration, extend a friendly welcome and share historical knowledge of the building with visitors. Volunteers could support the running of education, events and outreach programmes, tour guiding, community ambassador programmes and heritage interpretation. See V:1 (Action Plan).

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Within each of these target audiences above there will be:

first time visitors

repeat visitors

people with a range of access needs. 3.2.3 The successful delivery of BCC’s learning and participation objectives for the HLF

funded Stirchley Baths Project are dependent on additional staff resource being made available. The commission of a part-time Heritage Development Officer (HDO) was identified in BCC’s Round 1 Application to the HLF. This continues to be a recommendation. However, the job description has been revised to reflect the skills and experience required to manage delivery of the action plan outlined in this document. The revised job description is in Appendix C.

3.2.4 Visitor Projections

Visitor numbers at Stirchley Baths Community ‘hub’ will reflect:

The usual uptake of ‘Community Centre’ activities and room bookings

The curiosity of local residents (non-community centre users) who want to look inside their local iconic building after restoration

The quality of the ‘heritage offer’ or heritage-related events programme to attract visitors from outside the area

The increased booking of the rooms for private events and functions

The popularity of a new café and family-friendly facilities. It would not be unreasonable to predict the following number of visits starting from Year 2 (late 2014). These have been broken down into regular community centre users (‘experiencing’ the heritage) and visits generated during the three-years of HLF funding by specific heritage-related activity and events: * Y1 n/a (3,800 – specific heritage-related activity and events)

* Y2 19,000 (plus 3,465 – specific heritage-related activity and events)

* Y3 20,000 (plus 3,900 – specific heritage-related activity and events) * Y4 21,000 * Y5 22,000

The figures above are based on visits. See 3.2.5 for breakdown. Many people will be repeat visitors.

3.2.5 Engagement Targets of the Activity Plan Taking into account that the primary function of the Stirchley Baths Community ‘Hub’ will be a community centre with a full programme of community activity, the targets we have set ourselves for engaging people with the heritage of the building and the project are realistic. While recognising that all visitors to the building will have an ‘experience’ of the Bath’s heritage of some kind, the support to start a programme of heritage-related events and activity will offer both community centre users and target audiences the

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opportunity to have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the Bath’s history and to get involved in a range of participatory activities where they can have engaging and interactive experiences, learn new skills, and for some people give something back to their community. The following table outlines our projected numeric engagement targets over the three-year period based on successful project delivery. Details of this activity and associated visitor or audience numbers are found in the Action Plan per activity.

Yr1 Yr2 Yr3 Total

To engage 39,000 community ‘hub’ visitors in ‘heritage experiences’ at the Baths through on-site interpretation. Many will be repeat visits

n/a 19,000 20,000 39,000

To engage 55 people through volunteering 20 25 10 55

To engage 65 young people and students through project work and work placements

25 20 20 65

To engage 5380 people through events, exhibitions, open days and tours

2550 1520 1310 5380

To engage 4,500 unique visitors who access the project via the website

1000 1500 2000 4500

To engage 1015 school children through on-site visits, loans boxes and resources

165 350 500 1015

To engage 150 local BAME individuals through events, open days and tours

30 50 60 140

50,155

You will note that visit numbers to events, exhibitions, open days and tours do not show incremental growth from years 1-3 in the table above. This is due to activity programming. The number of new volunteers reflects the opportunities associated with larger events and their programming within the three-year period. The delivery of these targets is dependent on the type and number of people who come forward to participate. As such, delivery will need to be flexible and innovative to adapt to this and achieve the targets set out above.

A key issue is how do we count visitors? Visitors to the café or who are wandering around the building to have a look at the history need to be captured as well as those enrolled on regular classes or group activity and at special heritage related events. Asking non-regular visitors to sign in on entry is one option being considered. Visitors reached through social media should also be counted and appropriate mechanisms to count history-related pages should be built into the website design.

3.3 Marketing: Reaching New Audiences We would suggest that a strategy for building audiences to the ‘heritage offer’ of

Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’ is targeted at users and non-community centre users, local residents and city-wide heritage enthusiasts. It should use the following media:

Existing social media www.stirchleybaths.org, Facebook, Twitter: @stirchleybaths and @sellyoakdistrict

Existing on-line networks and related social media including:

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o www.stirchley.co.uk o http://stirchleyurban.wordpress.com o http://stirchley.co.uk/onlineforum/index.php o http://stirchleyhappenings.wordpress.com/ o www.birmingham.gov.uk/sellyoak o www.lovesellyoak.com o http://www.prospectors.org.uk/ o http://stirchleythoughtexchange.blogspot.co.uk/ o www.birminghamconservationtrust.org

Visit Birmingham website

Lifford Lane Business Association

Local press coverage (editorial) including radio and television throughout stages of restoration

Posters distributed around local community venues in Stirchley, Selly Park, Kings Norton, Cotteridge, Selly Oak and Kings Heath (including libraries, faith buildings, coffee shops etc) and Stirchley Baths Community ‘hub’

Posters and emails to named contact at St Andrews Healthcare

Birmingham City Council Tourism promotional literature (for special heritage events)

School newsletters. Attending school fetes and events to raise awareness

Stalls and displays at community events and festivals; Hazelwell Park Fun Day, Cocomad, Love Stirchley, ArtsOak are some examples.

3.4 Actions to Remove Barriers for Target Audiences 3.4.1 Community consultations in relation to the development of this Activity Plan took

place between 12 February and 21 May 2013. This was part of the on-going engagement around the SB Project. As part of this research local residents and people from ‘harder to reach’ groups were asked to identify the challenges and concerns they had or perceived in relation to visiting Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’, both as a building and as a place to experience its heritage.

3.4.2 Recommendations on how to overcome barriers are also included in the table below.

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Barrier identified Type of Barrier Barrier for Recommendation to overcome barrier

Access routes in and out of the car park will be used by both cars and pedestrians which might cause anxiety

Physical Wheelchair users Families, lone parents with pushchairs

Guidance on parking on website, including current options to park on the road in front of the library. Monitoring system to be put in place and BCC to seek visitor feedback Application to create Blue Badge parking on Bournville Lane

Due to the state of the building any ‘hard hat’ tours will not be physically accessible for some people before building improvements have been made

Physical Wheelchair users, people with limited mobility, hearing and sight impairments

Capture the conservation work during 12 month build through films, photo shoots and interviews with contractors in a range of formats (audio, written, film with text). Organise a BSL interpreted talk for BSL users near the end of the build

Difficulty crossing over Hazelwell Street to Baths; busy traffic, no traffic lights or crossing. “local area is important if you are physically disabled.” Being able to get to publically accessible spaces is as important as getting into them.

Physical Wheelchair users, people with limited mobility, and sight impairments

Traffic lights on Hazelwell Street to enable people time to get across the road to the Baths

Visitors not feeling welcome or poor customer service

Social Disabled people Patients at St Andrews Healthcare

Disability Awareness training for all volunteers (and staff if not available through the city council) BCC has a policy and duty towards equality and BCC community centre staff will be fully trained Partnership working on arts projects and display at Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’, volunteering opportunities, breaking down the stigma of mental health

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Barrier identified Type of Barrier Barrier for Recommendation to overcome barrier

Not knowing what to expect – what is access really like?

Physical Disabled people

Good web information available. Leaflet to pick up to include access information. E.g. what is the width of the disabled toilets, what happens if I were to pull the pull cord? Who will come? Are staff trained? Where can I park?

Feeling accepted and welcome “I wouldn’t come without my friends or peers” “Would want to know who goes and who runs it”

Social/Cultural Young people BME groups – cultural differences

Capacity building through colleges and youth clubs. Activities aimed at younger people and organised by them Interpret cultural links (segregation in swimming etc) that are relevant today for young people (for Muslim girls in particular)

“It’s not relevant or interesting. Don’t like history” Perception that they won’t enjoy it

Cultural Young people Competitions and quizzes Partnership with local college and youth clubs Plenty of activity to participate in

Mixed attendance at events Cultural Women, especially Muslim women

Promote ladies only talks and activities and women only ‘social’ sessions based on heritage

Older Muslim women are not café users, internet users. They would drop kids off and go home, wouldn’t necessarily come to events about history, but would look at pictures on the walls in foyer

Social Older Muslim women

Have display or historical information in the foyer area to engage with people as they come to the door

Less able to access the available interpretation

Intellectual Deaf people and people who are ‘hard of hearing’

Work with Deaf organisations to organise and promote bespoke BSL interpreted group tour on special heritage event days. Use BSL interpretation on web films, accessible also from computers at the centre. Subtitles on film, and clear, accessible text to be used in interpretation Hearing loop fitted

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Barrier identified Type of Barrier Barrier for Recommendation to overcome barrier

Less able to understand the available interpretation

Intellectual People with learning disabilities

Make heritage experience at Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’ special through practical activity (looking for clues around the building), hands on experience, role play including dressing up and experienced tour guide volunteers on heritage event days

Not able to access written interpretation

Physical People with visual impairments

Trained front of house staff and volunteers to offer assistance to guide a VIP. Tour guides trained to give good audio description as they conduct tours around the building on special heritage event days

Less able to understand the available interpretation

Intellectual/ cultural

People who do not speak English

Provide translations of important information / headlines and key messages in Bengali, Urdu and Arabic for non-English speaking visitors (many of whom will be from the local community). Recruit volunteers with community language skills to deliver pre-arranged community language interpreted tours and talks

Limited public access to the history (because of community centre use of rooms). Not enough staff to show public round the Baths on a regular basis

Organisational Public Schedule and promote twilight or weekend tours once a month to avoid clash with programming of regular user groups. A dedicated heritage slot will ensure the programme is manageable and deliverable

School visits and education activities disrupting regular user activities

Organisational Schools Lots of school visits are not going to be possible due to the programming of the community centre. Suggest four dedicated slots a month / once a week (initially) as provision for school visits where they have access to the main hall to take part in an interactive and facilitated activity led by the HDO and team of education volunteers

Cost of school visit Financial Schools and parents

Keep costs low (£2 per head for facilitated session on site) Create a workshop/loans box that can also be used in the classroom and with multiple groups

Cost of heritage related activity

Financial Public Young people

Much of the heritage interpretation can be made available to visitors and those entering the building free of charge Any pricing strategy for events or additional activities should be reasonable to ensure local communities are not excluded Annual participation in Heritage Open Days and other free community open days

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Barrier identified Type of Barrier Barrier for Recommendation to overcome barrier

Not enough staff or volunteers to run facilitated school sessions or public tours programme

Organisational Schools Public

Recruit, train and retain pool of volunteers who can make this activity happen

Motivation of teachers and the impact on teacher workload

Organisational Teachers Provide familiarisation visits, high quality learning resources supporting school based curriculum

Make learning at SB special through practical activity, hands on experience, role play including dressing up and experienced education facilitators

The fear of accidents and the possibility of litigation

Organisational Teachers Provide risk assessment template to help with their planning, pre-visit advice and familiarisation visits. BCC has public liability insurance and building risk assessments will be in place prior to opening

No capacity in volunteer programme to support volunteers and the delivery of public access programmes

Organisational/ Social

Volunteers Local community

Provide volunteer training budget. Recruit a HDO with experience in all areas of delivery, including volunteer management

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3.4.3 Recommendations for breaking down barriers:

A varied programme of history and heritage-related events will attract local residents and visitors to SB from across Birmingham. Working with other local cultural organisations such as Stirchley Happenings, Selly Oak District Arts Forum, Place Prospectors and Friends groups (parks) to ensure cross promotion and avoiding event clashes. This will help SB integrate into the local cultural and leisure offer of the area, as well as help build, rather than divide, local audiences.

Provide detailed access information on the web and in a leaflet so visitors, especially Disabled visitors, can plan their visit.

Asian people are regular visitors to Stirchley Community Centre, especially from the Bengali community. There is a Muslim women’s group who meet for Arabic lessons every Tuesday. English is not the first language of some of the older ladies, but they expressed interest in interpreted talks and activity. We would suggest working with members of the local Asian community to provide translations of important information / headlines and key messages in Bengali, Urdu and Arabic when interpreting the site. Recruit volunteers with community language skills to deliver pre-arranged community language interpreted tours and work as ambassadors within their communities.

The marketing strategy for SB’s heritage events and activities should include promotion to community organisations, local cafés, faith groups, youth groups, libraries and other grassroots venues. Marketing to a Deaf audience can be done through the city’s Deaf support groups such as DeafPLUS and BID Cultural Deaf Centre.

Creating curriculum-based resources and loans boxes may help overcome the financial barriers associated with learning outside the classroom.

Project-based work with young people from Stirchley and surrounding areas will give SB the opportunity to explore ways to encourage visits from this audience group and review and enhance the activities and events on offer. This might involve some pilot work; working with a group of young volunteers to create a quiz or competition suitable for and aimed at other young people. This will lead on to other projects such as working on an intergenerational project inspired by the Stirchley Baths Ballroom or painting a mural depicting the history of Stirchley and the Baths in the neighbouring park.

A named contact for all heritage-related event activity (preferably the Heritage Development Officer), with an office base at Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’. This will enable the Officer to have a greater visible presence within the community, than they would if based at the council offices.

3.5 Aims for Activities During consultation and engagement events, local people made suggestions on

activities and uses for the building which were not related to heritage. These included; music concerts, local food markets, sports, film night, arts and crafts workshops, old style music hall, holiday scheme, and a ‘hot desk’ for independent local businesses to use.

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These ideas and suggestions have been passed on to BCC and the programming sub group of the SBCSG. All written responses which have been collected, the majority written on ‘hands’ are included in Appendix D.

The activities outlined below and in the Action Plan are sub-divided to cover the following areas:

Interpretation

Volunteering

Community Engagement and Audience Development

Learning – school groups and families

Training

3.6 Recommendations (targets) for Participation and Learning 3.6.1 In recommending activities to meet BCC’s learning and participation objectives for

the Stirchley Baths project, timescale, available space and regular ‘user group’ programming need to be taken into consideration to ensure that heritage activity enhances the programme offered by the community centre, rather than clashes with it and vice versa. It is important that the project provides opportunities to build new audiences to the new community facility through its heritage ‘offer’ but also increases the enjoyment and understanding of visitors to the building who come to partake in a non-heritage organised group activity, class or function.

3.6.2 Recommendations; Capital works on-site Interpretation

We have produced an Interpretative Proposal alongside this Activity Plan which recommends physical interpretation at the building (See Stirchley Baths Interpretation Proposal, written by Birmingham Conservation Trust). The two main principles which have guided the plan are:

1. To take a ‘light touch’ approach to in situ interpretation materials.

Stirchley Baths has many stories to tell and to a considerable extent the building will speak for itself. Our aim is to provide interpretation materials that will enhance or further illustrate these stories, or will lead users of the building to stories that they may not have been aware of. We will aim to provoke interest and enquiry, and also point the way to where the curious may discover more. We will do this mainly through the use of photographs and enlarged facsimiles of original documents, with little or no explanatory text.

2. To use, wherever possible, the words of members of the community to

provide interpretation. The interviews conducted as part of the extensive community engagement exercise provide a rich source of quotations and memories. We intend that short extracts from these are dotted about in unusual places on the walls (not where it has been possible to retain the original tiles). Example: “There was no hot water in our house and it was a lot easier using the baths at Stirchley than getting the tin one out at home.” Again, the amount of information contained in this short quotation is huge. It is much more engaging and thought provoking than a piece of descriptive text on an information panel describing why ‘slipper baths’ were provided and popular.

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3.6.3 Recommendations; Interpretation through participation

To enhance the physical interpretation provided through the capital works budget, the recommendation is to involve and engage local people as participants in project work, through tours and talks, and interactive activities to create their own interpretations of the Baths’ heritage and wider Stirchley history and share this with a wider audience through a range of different media, including a digital output. During year one recommended activity has already been discussed with the appointed building contractor Mansells.

The following recommendations for Interpretation (I) also meet BCC’s learning and

participation aims for the HLF-funded project:

I:1 The after-school Film Production Club at Stirchley Community School have expressed an interest in making regular monthly updates on the restoration project to post on www.stirchleybaths.org as well as on their own school website. Stirchley Happenings will show their film night audiences the films. This will reach a wide audience. (Digital Output).

I:2 Work with a new Stirchley Local History Group (set up for the benefit, and lasting legacy, of the project) to produce an illustrated glossy leaflet about the historic importance of the Baths. This content can be also used on www.stirchleybaths.org (Digital Output). For example, the research and leaflet could follow four themes: The Public Baths, The World Wars, Leisure, Health and Fitness, and Closure, Campaign and Community. This would be part information/part promotion for community centre room hire, and available in the café as well as community venues.

I:3 Year one. Special by invitation 'hard hat’ tours for current community centre users and other local groups to help them feel part of the project/process (programme for March, April, May, July, August, October when there are no public tours. These tours could be monthly depending on the stage of the build and will be delivered by the contractor Mansells.

I:4 Year one. Special heritage event days: public ‘hard hat’ tours during Architecture Week (June) and the annual Heritage Open Days event (September). Participation will depend on how accessible the building is during conservation works.

I:5 Years two-three. Programme monthly pre-bookable public tour around the Baths (15 max group size) to be led by volunteer guides. This would fit in the dedicated monthly provision.

I:6 Work in partnership with new Stirchley Local History Group to design a local history 'living' display for exhibit within the Baths building which changes regularly as research progresses and new images are located.

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I:7 Two public talks by Steve Beauchampé, local expert on the history of Edwardian Baths in Birmingham. One talk could be aimed at local people whose first language is not English (with Bengali and Urdu interpreters. This may be a women's only session to maximise numbers), the other talk for general audiences; both local and from further afield. This may tie in with a special event day.

I:8 Work with a professional film maker and local residents (all ages and backgrounds) to produce a film about Stirchley; past, present and future (featuring the Baths at various stages in its life), but also narrating the changes in landscape and history of the community over time. Volunteers can learn film-making and interviewing techniques as well as appear on camera. This could be timed to capture the demolition of buildings on the new development site and building of the new Tesco store, as well as the restoration of the Baths. The historic landscape of the area will never look the same again! Also see V:5 (Digital Output).

I:9 Develop an interactive, immersive story-telling session for children aged 2-5 and their parents on the history of the building and its uses through characters, soundscape (period music, traffic and factory sounds and voice recordings), costumes (flat caps) and other props. This will also include a craft session which children will use to deliver a story. For delivery on-site as part of Parent and Toddler Group activity at SB, at Stirchley Library, and on heritage event days. To deliver 11 hour sessions over 3 years. The box of props developed can also be used on site during facilitated school visits. Also See L:1 (KS 1 pupils)

I:10 Development and writing of a 'Big Book' on the history of the Baths to be available in SB café, at the library and in parent and toddler groups. This could be based on characters developed as part of the story-telling resource above.

I:11 SB internet café homepage link to digital history resources on the history of the Baths; screen saver uses historical images. (Digital Output).

I:12 Development of short film (using green screen technology) to include BSL interpretation and subtitles. The scripted narrative could include the information available to the public at the Baths (i.e. leaflet, graphics). This can be available on www.stirchleybaths.org and on desktop of computers in the internet café. (Digital Output).

I:13 British Sign Language Interpreted tour on arrangement during monthly special heritage day slot. To be promoted through DeafPlus and Deaf Cultural Centre, Ladywood.

I:14 Time-lapse photography film to be produced by a volunteer to show the before, during and completion of the SB restoration project. See Volunteering V:1. (Digital Output).

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I:15 Two events where the public can ‘meet the expert’; talks by craftsmen and manager of the building site. This forms part of the programme of activities led by the appointed contractors Mansells in year one.

I:16 Subject to funding. Critically acclaimed composer and vocalist Andy Garbi makes acoustic templates that capture the sonic characteristics of an enclosed space to preserve what a building "sounds like" at the precise time and date when they were made. He wishes to use this technique to record spaces in derelict buildings before restoration/conservation or redevelopment work begins. He would like to include Stirchley Baths, alongside other heritage buildings in Birmingham and across the UK. His compositions will provide another way to interpret the building and may lead to a public event to share this with a wider audience.

I:17 Partnership project with the Drama Department at the University of Birmingham to create site-specific performances which interpret an aspect of the Baths history during their spring module in 2016.

I:18 Run a design competition for students from the Birmingham School of Jewellery to make a 2014 Ceremonial Key for the reopening of the Baths. The winner would win the commission to make a new key which would be displayed along with the original key dated 1911 (if a permanent loan can be arranged with Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery).

It is recommended that the delivery and coordination of the above is managed by the HDO.

3.6.4 Recommendations: Volunteering.

In a building where the primary function is to serve the community there will naturally be a lot of voluntary activity happening. The District is already making a concerted effort to work with a lot of volunteer-led community groups within the area. As part of the HLF-funded activity programme, volunteers will support specific areas of work to increase access to the heritage of the Baths and wider Stirchley history. In fact, volunteers are vital to the delivery of the programme outlined in Section 3. It is important to invest in volunteers, especially when drawn from the immediate local communities as this in turn increases the capacity and skills within the area. The recommendations below outline a programme for volunteers where they have access to skills-based training, and a range of diverse volunteer roles. These will attract a diverse range of volunteers. Sample volunteer role descriptions are provided in Appendix E. BCC is currently working on a corporate volunteering strategy, including its own role descriptions.

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V:1 Heritage Development Officer (HDO) to set up a volunteering programme;

actively recruit, train and manage volunteers in a variety of roles to increase access to heritage:

Building history tour guides for special event days and monthly tour

Oral historians

Community language interpreters and ambassadors (to engage with local BAME audiences and translate interpretative and promotional material as appropriate)

Events assistants

Bloggers

Documentary photographer (to create time-lapse of restoration project and write blogs on building works. See I:14)

Schools education volunteers

Friendly meet & greet volunteers at new centre with knowledge of the history of building.

Local history walk leaders to run bi-monthly history walks of the area

Marketing support

Event organisers (project aimed at young volunteers. See C:8)

V:2 Continuation of the voluntary Stirchley Baths Community Stakeholders Programming sub group. This group which will become the advisory committee for the ‘Community hub’ within year one of the project. They will advise on all aspects of community programming, including heritage-related activity.

V:3 HDO to facilitate the setting up of a Stirchley Local History Group (currently no group exists), working with local historian Wendy Pearson and the Neighbourhood Forum. The first task would be to research and write an interpretative leaflet on the history of the Baths in year one, and research and create wider Stirchley history resources after. The group will be involved with collecting memories for an oral history archive, some of which can be used in the Bath’s interpretation scheme. At a workshop session at the Stirchley Neighbourhood Forum in March 2013, local residents worked in groups to discuss the key research themes they were interested in. See notes from this workshop in Appendix F.

V:4 Work with freelance workers and young volunteers from Stirchley and surrounding areas on the planning of a community VE Day 2015 event. This will involve learning skills to research Stirchley in wartime, programming and marketing the event to other young people and wider audiences, ambassador work, social media, and being involved in a steering committee for the overall event.

V:5 Volunteers to work with film maker to produce film about Stirchley, past, present and future. To learn new skills in film making techniques.

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It is recommended that the delivery and coordination of the above is managed by the HDO.

3.6.5 Recommendations: Community Engagement & Audience Development

There will be regular visitors to the building who attend community groups, meetings and organised classes. Some visitors will only come once for the ‘heritage offer’. Each visitor will have an ‘experience’ of the building’s history through physically being in the building; many of the original historic features will be refurbished and the on-site interpretation will encourage people to consider the buildings’ former uses. Indeed, publicity for the community ‘hub’ developed by the District will also feature the Baths’ history which is seen as a selling point and asset to bring in new centre users. A programme of heritage-related events and activities will raise awareness about architectural and social history of the Baths, and offer an enhanced learning experience.

C:1 Build new local and city-wide audiences (heritage enthusiasts) to SB through

participation in events such as Architecture Week (June) and the annual Heritage Open Days event (September). These national events provide free access, breaking down financial barriers which might prevent some people from visiting. They also raise awareness on a local, regional and national level through dedicated publicity campaigns. Special event days could include a volunteer-led history tour of the building, interactive story telling for families, a rare opportunity to see under the areas of floor board into the empty pool, a chance to go up on the balcony (controlled) to look down on to the pool area, talks on the history of the Baths etc.

C:2 Launch event/opening of Stirchley Baths (community ‘hub’) for both VIPs and local residents (at the same event). Launch of Baths history leaflet produced by Stirchley Local History Group (see L:2).

C:3 Run an art competition with local schools, colleges and community groups to produce artwork and written text based on Stirchley Baths to go on community display case on the site hoardings for the duration of the build (changing display, which visitors on hard hat tours will also be encouraged to contribute to). This competition would be accompanied by a school assembly if appropriate or an image resource, and social media campaign.

C:4 Develop a volunteer-led history walk in Stirchley, to start and finish at Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’. Work with community language volunteers to deliver additional interpretation for non-English speakers where needed.

C:5 Work with local young people to design and test a quiz around the inside and outside of the building suitable and engaging for other young people. This can be used on special heritage event days.

C:6 Work with local families with children aged under 5 to create a family-friendly activity/trail inside and outside the building which can be used on special heritage event days.

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C:7 Host a community event in partnership with The Friends of Stirchley Park and other local organisations and collaborations on Sat 9 May 2015 to celebrate Victory in Europe; 70 year anniversary (Fri 8 May). This might involve a 1940s themed event which recreates Stirchley in wartime. This would be a community-led event which is inspired by the war years at Stirchley Baths, but also showcases the building as a facility/venue to bring communities together within the first 8-9 months of opening.

Initial ideas include:

1940s dances over the pool at the Baths and big band music

Drama piece on the Baths being used as a first aid post during the war

Traditional games in the park

St Edwards Primary school orchestra playing music of the era

Street performers

Bunting and union jacks

Recreation of a street party (Regent Street, 1945)

A range of performances by local school children and members of the Stirchley Community Centre weekly Tea dance

Vera Lynn impersonator to lead the sing-a-long and Winston Churchill with his famous Battle of Britain Speech

Character actors in military costume etc (which can be provided by South & City College)

Local bomb site history walks etc…

10 minute site-specific drama performance by University of Birmingham Drama Students

Themed market stalls – link in with Stirchley Community Market

The event would be a culmination of community-led activity. For example:

Research by the history group

Intergenerational learning in schools

1940s themed design and invitations/posters/ration cards by South & City College design students

Planning and event management to involve local volunteers and young people

Children's holiday and weekend craft activities to make bunting and paint union jacks

South & City College drama students to script and create costumed characters to mingle with the audience.

C:8 Work with freelance workers and young people from Stirchley on an

intergenerational project with members of the Stirchley Community Centre Tea dance to learn dances from the 1940s. This will form part of the wider VE Day 2015 community celebration event. Young people have expressed an interest in teaching the 1940s dances they learn to school children.

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C:9 Working with Stirchley Stitchers (Community Centre user group) in the development stages and the wider public in a participatory textile/felt arts project, recreate the mural painted on the tiles at the end of the swimming pool which appears in photos of the Baths in the 1980s. A piece for display within the temporary gallery space in the café. This can tie in with The Big Draw national event in October 2016, or another local community event.

C:10 Work in partnership with a local graffiti artist and Friends of Stirchley Park (at the back of SB) on further wall murals themed on Stirchley past, present and future. (The Baths can be represented in both past and future). Stirchley Present is represented already by the Sleeping Child; a symbol of the reawakening of the area. These murals will be outlined by ‘Title’ and painted by Stirchley young people in a series of workshops. This will require further permission from The Co-operative who own the wall.

The Sleeping Child, Graffiti by Title

C:11 Contributing to the annual local Artsoak Festival and other festivals (2014),

deliver two participatory half day workshops (venue tbc) with local communities using the old unusable tiles which were removed from the Baths during its restoration. Working with a ceramic/mosaic artist, individuals could create decorative mosaic pictures with the old tiles and other materials to take home which are inspired by and include images of the Bath's history under glass as part of their personalised design. After grouting work (off-site) is completed participants are invited back for a display event (and they can take their piece - and a little bit of Stirchley Baths - home with them)!

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C:12 Remount of an installation created by Tom Cahill-Jones of local arts group Stirchley Happenings. Constructed from scrap materials reclaimed from local streets over a two year period, this hide will provide a vantage point from which local people can consider the changes to the Baths (including bowling green) that are about to commence, after many years of talking and stalled development. It can be positioned in Stirchley Park, overlooking the SB compound. Inside the structure there will be audio presentation - of memories collected during the development phase of this plan - as well as a reminder of the plans. There will be an opportunity for people to add further memories and join in the excitement of the start of the restoration project.

Hinterland by Tom Cahill-Jones. Image by Phil Banting

C:13 Develop the Black Horse Stables and Beer House Pub Quiz. The quiz takes its name from the Beerhouse that was sited on the Baths site from circa 1830.The quiz would take place at the Three Horseshoes, British Oak, and other local pubs – the Highbury, Grant Arms, Selly Park Tavern, Dog Pool Tavern if reopened, The Country Girl.

C:14 Contribute to the Love Stirchley More Festival if there is a successful funding application - looking at memories of local people meeting, flirting, courting and falling in love at Stirchley Baths. This can be an output of the oral history project.

C:15 Work in partnership with the new Stirchley Local History Group and Birmingham Heritage and Archives Service to create an archive both physical and digital of material (photos, oral history, memorabilia) on Stirchley Baths and other local history to deposit in Birmingham Archives. A history loans box to be produced for local storage at the Baths, for community use and as a schools resource. See V:3.

C:16 A participatory arts project with St Andrews’s Healthcare, a mental health charity located in Stirchley, which draws a parallel between Stirchley Baths and recovery from mental health. The idea that the recovery of the building from something lost and damaged into something that is going to be useful again is like the mental health recovery journey. Working with a professional artist over four sessions, the patients will create artwork for temporary display at the community ‘hub’ (perhaps in the café).

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C:17 Partnership projects with Joseph Chamberlain 'Film Production Club' and other local students to make short film documentaries to feature the SB project; to support evaluation and create content for the website.

C:18 Two special 'historic' film nights relevant to the Baths including films about historic lidos, swimming pools etc… organised by Stirchley Happenings.

C:19 Retrieve the community time capsule buried at the former Community Centre (from the 1960s) and invite local residents to an event to contribute to a new 2014 time capsule. Both will be buried under the pool, and visible under the Perspex flooring for visitors on heritage tours and event days.

C:20 Working with representatives from 5-6 established Community Centre user groups and Stirchley Community School, create a series of panels using glass tiles and mosaic techniques to depict the history and heritage of Stirchley, including the Baths (tile work inspired by the tiling and glazed brickwork throughout the building). The individual panels can be mounted together to form a collective piece of community artwork which can be installed inside the building or at another location in Stirchley. See Boreham example below. It is recommended that the delivery and coordination of the above is managed by the HDO.

3.6.6 Recommendations: Learning.

Heritage is important for the future success of the building. However, the primary function of Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’ will not be a museum, nor a heritage ‘attraction’. It will be a living, vibrant community space which draws upon its rich heritage. It is envisaged that special event days and a monthly ‘heritage tour’ will be offered in yrs 2-3 to provide opportunities for access to the heritage and develop the target audiences identified in this study. If successful, these may continue as a permanent part of the Community ‘hub’s programme. The building provides a wonderful resource for learning; informally through events and family activities designed with learning outcomes; and formally for schools to deliver areas of the National Curriculum. Juggling demand from schools and regular bookings may become problematic. The recommendation would be to programme two hours a week as provision for school activity in the large hall. This will enable a group of 30 children at a time to visit the site for a facilitated session. The two themed learning packages which have been identified as useful resources by two different primary schools are: Local Studies (history, geography, citizenship, industry, maps) and World War II. Local Studies will have a limited uptake from schools outside the area, but WWII themed resources and facilitated sessions are expected to be popular across the city, despite recent changes in the history curriculum.

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The HDO will work with education volunteers to facilitate the on-site sessions based around these two themed packages. There will be an opportunity for children to showcase any follow up work they do in school at SB, using the temporary gallery space in the café. The target for on-site school visits should be realistic to reflect capacity at the building and expected demand. Outreach visits to schools through a loans box/taster sessions which introduce the two themes packages will be useful for increasing numbers as they can be used by more than one class and year group. L:1 Develop a package of Stirchley Baths on-site and off-site learning resources

in partnership with St Edwards Catholic Primary aimed at Yr 6 WWII studies. This may include dressing up costumes (the Baths was a first aid post) and props, air raid and bombing audio, 1940s dance music etc...

L:2 Deliver an interactive, immersive story telling session for children at KS1 on the history of the building and its uses through characters, soundscape (period music, traffic and factory sounds and voice recordings), costumes (flat caps) and other props. This will also include a craft session which children will use in delivery of a story. The box of props developed can also be used on site during education visits. Also See I:9

L:3 Devise and run a course on Stirchley local history for volunteers working at SB and the wider community. Two volunteers will be PETAL trained (Preparation for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector). Training other volunteers for the SB Project will be their main client group, although this will be suitable for teachers and other adult education learners. (See L:5)

L:4 Building contractor Mansells will deliver safety talks to local schools, to warn of the dangers of derelict buildings and building sites. These will be delivered in school assemblies.

L:5 Run day courses on the history of Stirchley (to include training local school teachers, members of the public, volunteers and ambassadors working with Stirchley Baths) will be available 3 times a year or more if demand exists. Training to be delivered by two volunteers trained to PETAL standard (Preparation for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector).

L:6 Develop a package of Stirchley Baths on-site and off-site learning resources in partnership with Stirchley Community School as part of their local studies (history and geography) unit at KS1 & KS2 (to promote to other schools in the area).

It is recommended that the delivery and coordination of the above is managed by the HDO.

3.6.7 Recommendations: Training.

Appropriate training will be offered to volunteers working with the SB project; not only to equip them for the task, but also to increase the skills base of the local community.

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It is expected that training will be delivered through both ‘bought-in’ resource and by the HDO who will manage the volunteer programme. The decline in heritage craft skills means that some skills required for historic building repair are at risk of dying out. This is a national challenge. The SB Project brings with it the opportunity to provide students with experience working on live restoration and conservation projects, enabling students to learn some traditional craft skills; first and foremost for this project will be stone-masonry. BCC have already appointed the contractors to the SB project. Mansells, which is part of the Balfour Beatty Group, have their own framework for community engagement and learning. The learning and participation targets which involve them have been agreed together in preparation of this plan.

T:1 Site-based student work placements will be made available through Mansells

and their sub-contractors across a range of specialisms for students learning traditional conservation skills (HVQs heritage construction through Dudley College and construction through South & City College, Birmingham). Mansell’s have agreed a target of a minimum 10 weeks’ worth of work placements, benefitting a minimum of 5 students.

T:2 Create opportunities for one shared 2-year apprenticeship with Mansells and/or sub contractors on heritage craft skills.

T:3 Training offered to volunteers on the history of SB and wider Stirchley area (delivered by PETAL trained volunteers (See L:3).

T:4 Archives Skills Training by Birmingham Archives Services for members of the Stirchley Local History Group. This is training to help projects and community groups develop skills and expertise around developing and establishing archive collections. This training is accessible and interactive, and includes introduction to collecting, different kinds of material, cataloguing and listing and using respective databases and spreadsheets. The training enables projects to develop and establish archive collections that are accessible and with a view to being deposited, where relevant, appropriate or desired, with the city archives. This support comes with ongoing advice and expertise.

T:5 Social media and wordpress training for volunteer bloggers and HDO to enable volunteers to add regular content to the website.

T:6 Oral history training offered to volunteers in Local History Group, and other recruited young volunteers.

T:7 Technical film skills training offered to volunteers working with the film maker to document the changing landscape as a result of regeneration; Stirchley Past, Present and Future (See I:8).

T:8 Training for Heritage Development Officer in all the above in order to deliver on-going training opportunities where appropriate as new volunteers are recruited.

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T:9 Training associated with Health & Safety on building sites for photographer recording the construction works (to produce time lapse) and HDO. This is a requirement of the contractors Mansells. These people will need to pass the CITB Health Safety and Environment test.

3.6.8 The aspirations outlined above show the potential of SB as a place of community

engagement and learning. The amount of activity that can be achieved, and therefore number of people who will be engaged through learning and participation, is dependent on;

the level of access allowed by contractor Mansells during year one

adequate levels or staffing and/or volunteers, including the commission of an HDO commission

timetabling

funding

strength of marketing campaign and levels of public interest

ability to overcome barriers to access. 3.8 Potential Partners and Collaborations

In section 2.6 we describe the growing cultural scene in Stirchley and the grass roots organisations which contribute to this. As outlined in the Action Plan some of the Activity Plan delivery can be either facilitated and led by, or promoted through these local groups. Working with local partners maximises the potential of any resources and legacies which are produced after the initial three year funded HLF project. Partners identified to help delivery of this Activity Plan include Stirchley Happenings, Place Prospectors, Selly Oak District Arts Forum and Stirchley Neighbourhood Forum. Both the head teachers of Stirchley Community School and St Edwards Catholic Primary have offered their help and the expertise of their staff to develop educational resources.

3.8.1 As part of the consultation we spoke to a selection of creative arts professionals from

different fields to hear their ideas for collaborations, creative participatory and artist-led projects as part of the SB project. These professionals included:

Sophie Handy, a mosaic art specialist based at The Old Print Works in Balsall Heath

Janice Connelly and Rachel Snape, Women & Theatre, based in Moseley

Sabra Khan, Project Manager of the Selly Oak Arts Forum

Jayne Murray and Emma Larkinson, Place Prospectors

‘Title’, a local graffiti artist from Kings Heath

Malcolm Jennings from The Playhouse, Theatre in Education, Balsall Heath

Andy Garbi, composer and vocalist from Malvern

Toni Midane, drama teacher who specialises in interactive storytelling for pre-school aged children from Cotteridge.

The majority of the recommendations outlined above and in the Action Plan involve working with communities. As much of the delivery is dependent on the type and number of people who come forward to participate, delivery will need to be flexible and innovative to adapt to this. As such, this list of recommended activities forms the basis for further detailed planning once the funding has been secured.

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A Show of Hands for the Stirchley Baths Project Event

The full list of comments, memories, questions, ideas and statements of support that were written on hands by participants, and displayed around Stirchley Baths, is available in Appendix D.

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“Met my husband in 1962 every night, as he swam here every day. Still going strong”. “Lovely old building – about time this was restored for community use!” “Used to go swimming with my sisters. Now I’m retired I’d love to have it as a meeting centre with activities – dance, yoga, keep fit, then the link with the past remains”. “A vibrant area where people come together to share ideas to make Stirchley great!” “Have lived here since I was born in 1974 and used to go swimming at Stirchley Baths every Wednesday for as long as I can remember. It was a sad lose when it closed. I would love to see the building used again”. “Stirchley Baths, the building sits in the middle of Stirchley – it will be great to have it open as a community space at the heart of the area.” “Looks an amazing building and truly hope you are successful. It’s always important to show those who look after our towns and cities that buildings are just not mere bricks and mortar. Buildings shape our societies, our culture and our shared histories and importantly inform us about our futures”.

Comments by local residents and in response to posts on www.stirchleybaths.org

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4. HOW DO WE INTEND TO GET THERE? 4.1 Action Plan This Action Plan is sub-divided to cover the following areas:

Interpretation

Volunteering

Community Engagement and Audience Development

Learning – school groups and family activities

Training Abbreviations: BCC Birmingham City Council BCT Birmingham Conservation Trust SB Stirchley Baths SBCSG Stirchley Baths Community Stakeholder Group HDO Heritage Development Officer

Images supplied by local residents to help develop the plans (centre picture, reference Place Prospectors’ Stirchley Merc.)

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Action Plan: Interpretation

Activity Audience Benefits Resources Timetable Targets Cost Evaluation

I:1 The after-school Film Production Club at Stirchley Community School have expressed an interest in making regular monthly updates on the restoration project to post on www.stirchleybaths.org as well as on their own school website. Stirchley Happenings will show their film night audiences the films. This will reach a wide audience. Digital Output

School children, wider audiences

Regular updates for local residents and wider interest groups. Local school engaged in restoration project

Mansells to facilitate (inc hard hats, safety eyewear, etc)

1 10 pupils x 10 reports. 20 pupils involved

0 Feedback from teachers and pupils, audience numbers (website and Stirchley Happenings)

I:2 Work with a new Stirchley Local History Group (set up for the benefit, and lasting legacy, of the project) to produce an illustrated glossy leaflet about the historic importance of the Baths. This content can be also used on www.stirchleybaths.org. Digital Output. For example, the research and leaflet could follow four themes: The Public Baths, The World Wars, Leisure, Health and Fitness, and Closure, Campaign and Community. This would be part information/part promotion for community centre room hire, and available in the café as well as community venues.

Local residents, wider audiences

Local interested residents engaged in research and production of history leaflet on the Baths and other heritage resources in the area

HDO time, Neighbourhood forum/history group volunteers, designer

1 Min. of 10 volunteers in history group

3500 Retention and growth rate of volunteers, feedback on leaflets, downloads of leaflet

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Activity Audience Benefits Resources Timetable Targets Cost Evaluation

I:3

Special by invitation 'hard hat’ tours for current community centre users and other local groups to help them feel part of the project/process (programme for March, April, May, July, August, October when there are no public tours. These tours could be monthly depending on the stage of the build and will be delivered by the contractor Mansells.

Community groups, local residents

Engage current community centre users in the process, to give sense of ownership about their new 'home'.

Mansells to sponsor (inc hard hats, safety eye wear etc…)

1 5 x 12 people = 60 people

0 Visitor feedback. All tours full.

I:4 Special heritage event days: public ‘hard hat’ tours during Architecture Week (June) and the annual Heritage Open Days event (September). Participation will depend on how accessible the building is during conservation works.

Heritage enthusiasts, local residents

Allow 'behind the scenes' access for heritage enthusiasts and local residents who are not community centre users. Raise awareness of conservation work. Bring new audiences to Stirchley

Mansells to sponsor (inc hard hats, safety eyewear etc…

1 8 tours of 15 people (4 at each event) 120 visitors on tours

0 Visitor feedback. All tours full. No. of non-local residents

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Activity Audience Benefits Resources Timetable Targets Cost Evaluation

I:5 Programme monthly pre-bookable public tour around the Baths (15 max group size) to be led by volunteer guides. This would fit in the dedicated monthly provision.

Heritage enthusiasts, local residents

Create opportunities for public access and sharing the heritage of the building. Bring new audiences both to the Baths and to Stirchley

HDO time, Press and PR, BCC officers, volunteers

2&3 Yr 2 &3; 12 groups of 15 people booked on tours 180 people (x2) 360 people

0 Visitor feedback. All tours full. Additional demand for tours by year 3.

I:6 Work in partnership with new Stirchley Local History Group to design a local history 'living' display for exhibit within the Baths building which changes regularly as research progresses and new images are located.

Local residents, visitors to the centre, community groups

Display area to showcase research as well as raise awareness about local history with community centre users and visitors. Community ownership

HDO time, local history group

2&3 Display boards maintained and updated regularly

1500 Visitor feedback. Regular updates. New volunteers recruited

I:7 Two public talks by Steve Beauchampé, local expert on the history of Edwardian Baths in Birmingham. One talk could be aimed at local people whose first language is not English (with Bengali and Urdu interpreters. This may be a women's only session to maximise numbers), the other talk for general audiences; both local and from further afield. This may tie in with a special event day.

Local residents, heritage enthusiasts

Locate history of SB within wider historical context. Engage with BME audience

HDO time, external commission, community language interpreters Targeted promotion to local BAME groups

2&3 Tie in with heritage event days - target to attract 150 to each event day

200 Visitor feedback Attendance

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I:8 Work with a professional film maker and local residents (all ages and backgrounds) to produce a film about Stirchley; past, present and future (featuring the Baths at various stages in its life), but also narrating the changes in landscape and history of the community over time. Volunteers can learn film-making and interviewing techniques as well as appear on camera. This could be timed to capture the demolition of buildings on the new development site and building of the new Tesco store, as well as the restoration of the Baths. The historic landscape of the area will never look the same again! Also see V5 Digital Output.

heritage enthusiasts, local residents, young people

Create a local history resource Offer opportunity for people to learn new skills, engage local residents through reminiscence work

Freelance commission. 5 volunteers, HDO time

1&2 5 people learning new skills, 1000 hits on website, 60 people viewing film

5000 Feedback from participants. Feedback from audience. Hits on website

I:9 Develop an interactive, immersive story-telling session for children aged 2-5 and their parents on the history of the building and its uses through characters, soundscape (period music, traffic and factory sounds and voice recordings), costumes (flat caps) and other props. This will also include a craft session which children will use to deliver a story. For delivery on-site as part of Parent and Toddler Group activity at SB, at Stirchley Library, and on heritage event days. To deliver 11 hour sessions over 3 years. The box of props developed can also be used on site during facilitated school visits.

Local residents, families

Produce age appropriate and engaging history resources Support parental learning of local heritage

Freelance commission, Volunteers, HDO time

1&3 11 sessions delivered over 3 years, each with average of 20 people: 210 parents and toddlers

2500 Feedback from participants. Attendance

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I:10 Development and writing of a 'Big Book' on the history of the Baths to be available in SB café, at the library and in parent and toddler groups. This could be based on characters developed as part of the story-telling resource.

Local residents, families

Produce age appropriate and engaging history resources Support parental learning of local heritage

HDO time, local history group, designer, illustrator commission, writer commission

3 Book used by families in café, in library and in parent and toddler groups in both

2500 No. of uses within sessions, events and in café. No. of orders for schools/nurseries/libraries

I:11 SB internet café homepage link to digital history resources on the history of the Baths; screen saver uses historical images. Digital Output.

Community groups, café visitors

Raise awareness of building's history for digital users and enhance heritage learning experience on site

Website team HDO time

2&3 Internet users learn about the history of the Baths while in the café

0 No. of click throughs

I:12 Development of short film (using green screen technology) to include BSL interpretation and subtitles. The scripted narrative could include the information available to the public at the Baths (i.e. leaflet, graphics). This can be available on www.stirchleybaths.org and on desktop of computers in the internet café. Digital Output.

BSL Users Increase access to Bath's heritage for BSL users and people who are hard of hearing

BSL Interpreter, film maker, green screen studio

2 30 'watches' per years 2-3

450 No. of views. Feedback from BSL users

I:13 British Sign Language Interpreted tour on arrangement during monthly special heritage day slot. To be promoted through DeafPlus and Deaf Cultural Centre, Ladywood.

BSL Users Increase access to Bath's heritage for BSL users and people who are hard of hearing.

HDO time, Partnership with DeafPLUS and Deaf Cultural Centre

2&3 15 people on each tour (part of monthly tour programme)

60 Visitor feedback. Tour places full

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I:14 Time-lapse photography film to be produced by a volunteer to show before, during and after completion of the SB restoration project. Digital Output.

Wider audiences, centre users, local residents

Raise awareness of conservation and project as it progresses Visual document of change for archive

1 x volunteer, HDO support

1 Use of time-lapse in digital format, 250 views on website

150 No. of views on website

I:15 Two events where the public can ‘meet the expert’; talks by craftsmen and manager of the building site. This forms part of the programme of activities led by the appointed contractors Mansells.

Local residents, heritage enthusiasts

Opportunity for people to engage with heritage craft skills first hand

Mansells to sponsor and organise. HDO to support with marketing

1 70 people attending

0 Sponsored by Mansells

No. of local residents. No. of Birmingham heritage enthusiasts. Visitor feedback

I:16 Subject to funding. Critically acclaimed composer and vocalist Andy Garbi to make an acoustic template of Stirchley Baths before restoration that capture the sonic characteristics of Baths and preserve what a building "sounds like" at the precise time and date when they were made. His compositions will provide another way to interpret the building and may lead to a public event to share this with a wider audience.

Local residents, heritage enthusiasts, young people, students

Enhance an understanding of the building through the arts Develop a new audience for the heritage

Andy Garbi will bring own funding. Permission to enter space/Mansells/BCC Council Officer

1&2 150 to attend site-based performance

0 Subject to additional funding

Funding secured. Attendance at event

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I:17 Partnership project with the Drama Department at the University of Birmingham to create site-specific performances which interpret an aspect of the Baths history during their spring module in 2016.

Young people, local students, local residents

Enhance an understanding of the building and social history through the arts Develop a new audience for the heritage. Engage with local young people

HDO time. University lecturer: Adam Ledger. Expenses to cover bus travel and some props

3 Involve 15 local students, audience attending:400

600 Feedback from participants. Attendance

I:18 Run a design competition for students from the Birmingham School of Jewellery to make a 2014 Ceremonial Key for the reopening of the Baths. The winner would win the commission to make a new key which would be displayed along with the original key dated 1911 (if a permanent loan can be arranged with Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery).

Students, local residents

Production of new artwork to enhance interpretation in building Opportunity for design students to engage with the building and its history

HDO time 1 15 students entering competition

1500 Feedback from participants. No. of participants

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Action Plan: Volunteering

Activity Audience Benefits Resources Timetable Targets Cost Evaluation

V:1 HDO to set up a volunteering programme; actively recruit, train and manage volunteers in a variety of roles to increase access to heritage. Roles include building history tour guides, oral historians, community language interpreters, events assistants, bloggers, documentary photographer, building works photographer, schools learning support volunteers, meet and greet, history walk leaders, event organisers.

Local residents, heritage enthusiasts, young people, students

Increased capacity both to deliver the project, but also in the local area through access to training

HDO time, external trainers if appropriate, BCC volunteering scheme documentation

1,2&3 40 new volunteers involved in volunteering activity within 3 years

5000 No. of volunteers Volunteer satisfaction survey. Retention and diversity of volunteers

V:2 Continuation of the voluntary Stirchley Baths Community Stakeholders Programming sub group. This group which will become the advisory committee for the ‘Community hub’ within year one of the project. They will advise on all aspects of community programming, including heritage-related activity.

Local residents

Ownership of a community asset. Local residents to champion events and resources

BCC Officers 1,2&3 15 volunteers on advisory committee

0 No. of volunteers Volunteer satisfaction survey. Retention and diversity of volunteers

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V:3 HDO to facilitate the setting up of a Stirchley Local History Group (currently no group exists), working with local historian Wendy Pearson and the Neighbourhood Forum. The first task would be to research and write an interpretative leaflet on the history of the Baths in year one, and research and create wider Stirchley history resources after. The group will be involved with collecting memories for an oral history archive, some of which can be used in the Bath’s interpretation scheme. At a workshop session at the Stirchley Neighbourhood Forum, local residents worked in groups to discuss the key research themes they were interested in.

Local residents All visitors

Engaging volunteers in the research and production of interpretation To create a group which continues beyond the life of the project

HOD time, Neighbourhood Forum

1 10 regular volunteers, 20 oral history interviews in archive

1000 Retention rate and growth of volunteers, feedback on leaflets, downloads of leaflet. No. of volunteers receiving training

V:4 Work with freelance workers and young volunteers from Stirchley and surrounding areas on the planning of a community VE Day 2015 event. This will involve learning skills to research Stirchley in wartime, programming and marketing the event to other young people and wider audiences, ambassador work, social media, and being involved in a steering committee for the overall event.

Young people, local students, local residents, community groups, schools, wider audiences, local colleges

Increasing skills and offering opportunities for live work experience on events for young people

Commission for freelance worker (youth or community), HDO time. Targeted marketing to young people

1&2 5 young people participating and making decisions about heritage

600 Feedback from volunteers. Retention of volunteers. New skills gained

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V:5 Volunteers to work with film maker to produce film about Stirchley, past, present and future. To learn new skills in film making techniques.

Local residents, young people

Access to skills training

Film maker commission. HDO time

1&2 5 volunteers learning new skills. Attending film events: 200

0 Costs in I:8

Retention of volunteers No. of volunteers gaining new skills

Action Plan: Community Participation and Audience Development

Activity Audience Benefits Resources Timetable Targets Cost Evaluation

C:1 Build new local and city-wide audiences (heritage enthusiasts) to SB through participation in events such as Architecture Week (June) and the annual Heritage Open Days event (September). These national events provide free access, breaking down financial barriers which might prevent some people from visiting. They also raise awareness on a local, regional and national level through dedicated publicity campaigns. Special event days could include a volunteer-led history tour of the building, interactive story telling for families, a rare opportunity to see under the areas of floor board into the empty pool, a chance to go up on the balcony (controlled) to look down on to the pool area, talks on the history of the Baths etc.

Heritage enthusiasts, local residents

Developing audiences to the heritage of the Baths. Bringing new visitors into Stirchley

HDO time, Press and PR, BCC Officers, volunteers

1,2&3 4 event days a year, attracting 150 people to each = 600

1500 Attendance at events. Repeat visits. No. of volunteers involved. Press coverage

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C:2 Launch event/opening of Stirchley Baths (community ‘hub’) for both VIPs and local residents (at the same event). Launch of Baths history leaflet produced by Stirchley Local History Group.

Local residents, community groups, VIPs

Press and PR coverage. Local residents feel sense of ownership alongside VIPs

HDO time, SO district time, BCC Officer time

2 200 people attending throughout day

1000 Attendance. Visitor feedback

C:3 Run an art competition with local schools, colleges and community groups to produce artwork based on Stirchley Baths to go on community display case on the site hoardings for the duration of the build (changing display, which visitors on hard hat tours will also be encouraged to contribute to). This competition would include a school assembly or image resource and social media campaign.

Local schools, colleges, community groups, local residents

Engagement with local groups and schools. Keeping interest in the Baths alive and progress updated

HDO time, Mansells site manager time

1 70 entries. 20 visitors on hard hat tours contribute to changing display. 3 schools/colleges participating

650 No. of participants and contributors. Feedback from local residents. No. of views on related web presence

C:4 Develop a volunteer-led history walk in Stirchley, to start and finish at Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’. Work with community language volunteers to deliver additional interpretation for non-English speakers where needed.

Local residents, heritage enthusiasts

Support the local history group to deliver lasting legacies

HDO time, volunteers, local history group

2&3 7 walking tours a year Yrs 2&3 involving 70 people (total)

190 Feedback from participants. No. of walkers. New volunteers trained

C:5 Work with local young people to design and test a quiz around the inside and outside of the building suitable and engaging for other young people. This can be used on special heritage event days.

Young people, local residents

Young people creating trail for their peers; feeling part of the process. Suitable and tested product

Volunteers, HDO time

2 100 Young people over 3 years participate in trail

500 Feedback from participants. No. of trail users

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C:6 Work with local families with children aged under 5 to create a family-friendly activity/trail inside and outside the building which can be used on special heritage event days.

local residents, families

Families creating trail for other families. Feeling part of the process. Suitable and tested product

HDO time, volunteers, designer Colour printed leaflet (in-house)

2 150 families completing the trail

500 Feedback from participants. No. of trail users

C:7 Host a community event in partnership with The Friends of Stirchley Park and other local organisations and collaborations on Sat 9 May 2015 to celebrate Victory in Europe; 70 year anniversary (Fri 8 May). This might involve a 1940s themed event which recreates Stirchley in wartime. This would be a community-led event which is inspired by the war years at Stirchley Baths, but also showcases the building as a facility/venue to bring communities together within the first 8-9 months of opening.

Young people, Local residents, school children, students, older people, community groups

Bringing people into Stirchley. Bringing community groups and schools together to contribute to an event themed on the history of the Baths in wartime. Participatory engagement in lead up and showcase of talent and contributions as well as the building

HDO time, volunteers, designer Colour printed leaflet (in-house), partnerships with local schools, colleges, community groups, university, council officers, friends of Stirchley Park, Stirchley Community Market etc…

2 750 attend the event

6000 Attendance. Visitor feedback. No. of community members contributing. Press coverage. Participant feedback. New volunteers

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C:8 Work with freelance workers and young people from Stirchley on an intergenerational project with members of the Stirchley Community Centre Tea dance to learn dances from the 1940s. This will form part of the wider VE Day 2015 community celebration event. Young people have expressed an interest in teaching the 1940s dances they learn to school children.

Young people, older people, school children

Intergenerational learning. Contribution to the community event

HDO time, volunteers, freelance youth worker commission, teaching staff

1&2 10 young people participating, 10 older residents participating, intergenerational learning

0 See C:7

Participant feedback. No of participants. Retention of young volunteers

C:9 Working with Stirchley Stitchers (Community Centre user group) in the development stages and the wider public in a participatory textile/felt arts project, recreate the mural painted on the tiles at the end of the swimming pool which appears in photos of the Baths in the 1980s. A piece for display within the temporary gallery space in the café. This can tie in with The Big Draw national event in October 2016, or another local community event.

Community group, local residents

Engaging with a wider audience through the arts and enhances historic interpretation of the building

Artist commission for workshops, felt material partnership with Stirchley Stitchers. Artsoak coordination and marketing, HDO time

3 20 participants involved in development and public workshop

500 Participant feedback. No of participants

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C:10 Work in partnership with a local graffiti artist and Friends of Stirchley Park (at the back of SB) on further wall murals themed on Stirchley past, present and future. (The Baths can be represented in both past and future). Stirchley Present is represented already by the Sleeping Child; a symbol of the reawakening of the area. These murals will be outlined by ‘Title’ and painted by Stirchley young people in a series of workshops. This will require further permission from The Co-operative who owns the wall.

Young people, visitors to park

Contributes to the regeneration of the park and the opportunity to depict the history of the Baths and wider Stirchley history in an art form accessible to younger audiences

HDO time, Friends of Stirchley Park, Freelance graffiti artist

1,2 10 young people participating

1250 Participant feedback. No. of participants. New young volunteers for other SB projects

C:11 Contributing to the annual local Artsoak Festival and other festivals (2014), deliver two participatory half day workshops (venue tbc) with local communities using the old unusable tiles which were removed from the Baths during its restoration. Working with a ceramic/mosaic artist, individuals could create decorative mosaic pictures with the old tiles and other materials to take home which are inspired by and include images of the Bath's history under glass as part of their personalised design. After grouting work (off-site) is completed participants are invited back for a display event (and they can take their piece - and a little bit of Stirchley Baths - home with them)!

Local residents, families, young people

Artoak provide marketing support and programming. Supports audience development

HDO time, Freelance mosaic artist, Mansells contractor (tile removal), SO District Arts Forum to do promotion

1&2 40 people booked on workshops, 500 people visiting exhibition

1200 Feedback from participants and exhibition attendees. No. of participants. Press coverage

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C:12 Remount of an installation created by Tom Cahill-Jones of local arts group Stirchley Happenings. Constructed from scrap materials reclaimed from local streets over a two year period, this hide will provide a vantage point from which local people can consider the changes to the Baths (including bowling green) that are about to commence, after many years of talking and stalled development. It can be positioned in Stirchley Park, overlooking the SB compound. Inside the structure there will be audio presentation - of memories collected during the development phase of this plan - as well as a reminder of the plans. There will be an opportunity for people to add further memories and join in the excitement of the start of the restoration project.

Local residents, heritage enthusiasts

Opportunity to reflect on Baths project though art installation which is already popular with local residents

HDO time, Friends of Stirchley Park

1 60 people attending event, 20 people contributing a thought or memory

800 No. of participants and contributors. Feedback from local residents

C:13 Develop the Black Horse Stables and Beer House Pub Quiz. The quiz takes its name from the Beerhouse that was sited on the Baths site from circa 1830.The quiz would take place at the Three Horseshoes, British Oak, and other local pubs – the Highbury, Grant Arms, Selly Park Tavern, Dog Pool Tavern if reopened, The Country Girl.

Local residents, students, young people

Reaching more economically hard to reach audiences. Fun way of learning the history of the Baths and encouraging visits

Place Prospectors as potential partner, HDO time, Stirchley Local History Group, Designer

2 200 taking part 2400 Feedback from participants. No. of participants

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C:14 Contribute to the Love Stirchley More Festival if there is a successful funding application - looking at memories of local people meeting, flirting, courting and falling in love at Stirchley Baths. This can be an output of the oral history project.

Local residents

Linkage with local event. Build new audiences

HDO working with Place Prospectors, Local history group, volunteers

2 70 attending 200 Attendance. Visitor feedback. No. of community members contributing. Press coverage. Participant feedback. New volunteers

C:15 Work in partnership with the new Stirchley Local History Group and Birmingham Heritage and Archives Service to create an archive both physical and digital of material (photos, oral history, memorabilia) on Stirchley Baths and other local history to deposit in Birmingham Archives. A history loans box to be produced for local storage at the Baths, for community use and as a schools resource.

Local residents, future learners, heritage enthusiasts, school children

Creation of local history resource for use by public and schools

Local history group, Birmingham Archive Service, HDO time

1,2&3 10 members, growing to 20 by year 3. Loan box used by community groups and on heritage event days

1500 No. of loan requests (including from schools). No. of uses during event days

C:16 A participatory arts project with St Andrews’s Healthcare, a mental health charity located in Stirchley, which draws a parallel between Stirchley Baths and recovery from mental health. The idea that the recovery of the building from something lost and damaged into something that is going to be useful again is like the mental health recovery journey. Working with a professional artist over four sessions, the patients will create artwork for temporary display at the community ‘hub’ (perhaps in the café).

Local residents, people with mental illness

Helps challenge perceptions on mental illness and encourages patients to contribute to their local area

Freelance artist commission, HDO time

1 15 patients involved as participants, 500 people viewing exhibition

800 No. of exhibition visitors. Feedback from participants and audiences

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C:17 Partnership projects with Joseph Chamberlain 'Film Production Club' and other local students to make short film documentaries to feature the SB project; to support evaluation and create content for the website.

Young people, students, wider audiences

Work with local young people to interpret aspects of the history and support project evaluation

JCC tutor Richard Bourne, HDO time

2 10 YP participating

0 No. of participants. No. views of films

C:18 Two special 'historic' film nights relevant to the Baths including historic films about lidos, swimming pools etc.

Local residents, families

Working with local delivery agent, new audiences to heritage

Stirchley Happenings Travelling 'Bug House, HDO time

2&3 70 people (35 at each)

700 Attendance. Visitor feedback

C:19 Retrieve the community time capsule buried at the former Community Centre (from the 1960s) and invite local residents to an event to contribute to a new 2014 time capsule. Both will be buried in the pool, and visible under the Perspex flooring for visitors on heritage tours and event days.

Local residents, families

Continue the story of Stirchley community centre history. Reminder of the former community centre

Purchase of new time capsule container, HDO time, volunteers

1 40 people at event, 20 of whom contribute an item to the new time capsule

50 No. of people contributing, press coverage. Feedback from visitors

C:20 Working with representatives from 5-6 established Community Centre user groups and Stirchley Community School, create a series of panels using glass tiles and mosaic techniques to depict the history and heritage of Stirchley, including the Baths (tile work inspired by the tiling and glazed brickwork throughout the building). The individual panels can be mounted together to form a collective piece of community artwork which can be installed inside the building or at another location in Stirchley.

Community groups, local residents, schools

Bringing community groups and schools together to contribute to a piece of local history and Baths-themed artwork

Artist commission for workshops, materials and final installation. HDO time

2 30 participants. Visitors at launch and at exhibition: 500

5000 No. of groups wanting to engage. Feedback from participants. No. of people at launch event

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Action Plan: Learning

Activity Audience Benefits Resources Timetable Targets Cost Evaluation

L:1 Develop a package of Stirchley Baths on-site and off-site learning resources in partnership with St Edwards Catholic Primary aimed at Yr 6 WWII studies. This may include dressing up costumes (the Baths was a first aid post) and props, air raid and bombing audio, 1940s dance music etc...

School children KS3 and KS4

Support delivery of the curriculum and provide local opportunities for 'learning outside the classroom'

Teaching staff from local schools, props, costumes, music, local history group

1,2&3 Learning package created. Use with 750 school children over 2 years

1750 Uptake of resources, No. of visits booked. Feedback from teachers and pupils. No. of teachers attending local history training

L:2 Deliver an interactive, immersive story telling session for children at KS1 on the history of the building and its uses through characters, soundscape (period music, traffic and factory sounds and voice recordings), costumes (flat caps) and other props. This will also include a craft session which children will use in delivery of a story. The box of props developed can also be used on site during education visits.

School children KS1

Support delivery of the curriculum and provide local opportunities for 'learning outside the classroom'

See I:9 HDO time

1, 2&3 9 sessions over 3 years delivered for KS1 children in local schools (9 x 30 children = 270 children)

0 See I:9

No. of sessions booked. Feedback from teachers and pupils. No. of teachers doing training on Stirchley history

L:3 Devise and run a course on Stirchley local history for volunteers working at SB and the wider community. Two volunteers will be PETAL trained (Preparation for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector). Training others volunteers for the SB Project will be their main client group, although this will be suitable for teachers and other adult education learners.

Informal learners, local residents

Build capacity locally and within the project. To provide local history training and equip volunteers

HDO time, volunteers, local history group

2&3 Over 3 years 5 teachers trained, 20 SB volunteers on training, 15 local residents

500 No. of schools sending teachers on training. No of volunteers trained. No of independent requests

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L:4

Building contractor Mansells will deliver safety talks to local schools, to warn of the dangers of derelict buildings and building sites. These will be delivered in school assemblies.

Local school children

Encourage safety around building sites and mitigate risk

Mansells to sponsor and organise

1 800 school children to attend talks

0 No. of children involved Feedback from teachers

L:5 Run day courses on the history of Stirchley (to include training local school teachers, members of the public, volunteers and ambassadors working with Stirchley Baths) will be available 3 times a year or more if demand exists. Training to be delivered by two volunteers trained to PETAL standard (Preparation for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector).

Local residents, heritage enthusiasts, teachers, volunteers

To build capacity and knowledge within the community to a recognised standard

Adult Education Service, Volunteers, HDO

2 40 people attend day course over 3 years

300 No. of schools sending teachers on training. No of volunteers trained. No of independent requests

L:6 Develop a package of Stirchley Baths on-site and off-site learning resources in partnership with Stirchley Community School as part of their local studies (history and geography) unit at KS1 & KS2 (to promote to other schools in the area).

School children; KS1 and KS2

Support delivery of the curriculum and provide local opportunities for 'learning outside the classroom'

HDO time, teaching staff, volunteers

1,2&3 4 local schools using resources with 2 classes each year = 120 children

2000 Uptake of resources, No. of visits booked. Feedback from teachers and pupils. No. of teachers attending local history training

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Action Plan: Training

Activity Audience Benefits Resources Timetable Targets Cost Evaluation

T:1 Site-based student work placements will be made available through Mansells and their sub-contractors across a range of specialisms for students learning traditional conservation skills (HVQs heritage construction through Dudley College and construction through South & City College, Birmingham). Mansells have agreed a target of a minimum 10 weeks’ worth of work placements, benefitting a minimum of 5 students.

Students To provide work placement opportunities and sign post to careers in construction and heritage craft skills

Mansells to sponsor and organise

1 10 weeks worth of placements, involving 5 students

0 Uptake of placements. Feedback from participants. Experience and skills gained

T:2 Create opportunities for one shared 2-year apprenticeship with Mansells and/or sub contractors on heritage craft skills.

Student To provide opportunities for on-the -job training for person starting their career and interested in heritage craft skills

Mansells to sponsor and organise

1 1 apprenticeship arranged

0 Uptake and retention of student. Heritage craft skills gained

T:3 Training offered to volunteers on the history of SB and wider Stirchley area (delivered by PETAL trained volunteers).

Volunteers All volunteers are equipped with the knowledge to deliver their volunteer roles

Adult Education Service, Volunteers, HDO

2&3 30 volunteers attend training

0 No. of volunteers trained. Participant feedback

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T:4 Archives Skills Training by Birmingham Archives Services for members of the Stirchley Local History Group. This is training to help projects and community groups develop skills and expertise around developing and establishing archive collections. This training is accessible and interactive, and includes introduction to collecting, different kinds of material, cataloguing and listing and using respective databases and spreadsheets. The training enables projects to develop and establish archive collections that are accessible and with a view to being deposited, where relevant, appropriate or desired, with the city archives. This support comes with ongoing advice and expertise.

Volunteers, local residents

Increasing capacity of local residents through access to training. Production of useful local history resource

HDO time, Birmingham Archives Service, local history group, volunteers

2&3 10 volunteers attend training Archives deposited with Birmingham Archive Services

1500 No. of volunteers trained. Volunteer feedback

T:5 Social media and wordpress training for volunteer bloggers and HDO to enable volunteers to add regular content to the website.

Volunteers, local residents

Increasing capacity of local residents through access to training. Increased amount of content for the SB website

external training provided through BCC

1,2&3 10 volunteers trained over 3 years

450 No. of volunteers trained. No. of blogs written. Increase in visitors to website

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T:6 Oral history training offered to volunteers in Local History Group, and other recruited young volunteers.

volunteers, local residents

Increasing capacity of local residents through access to training. Better quality and amount of interviews for the community archive and to increase understanding of the bath's social history

HDO to organise, freelance training commission

1 5 volunteers trained

500 No. of volunteers trained. No. of oral history interviews conducted

T:7 Technical film skills training offered to volunteers working with the film maker to document the changing landscape as a result of regeneration; Stirchley Past, Present and Future

volunteers, local residents, young people

Increasing capacity of local residents through access to training. Local history resource created

HDO time. Film maker commission. BCC Officers

1&2 5 volunteers, young people with new skills. 300 people in audiences of screenings

0 See I:8

No. of volunteers receiving training and gaining new skills. Participant feedback

T:8 Training for Heritage Development Officer in all the above in order to deliver on-going training opportunities where appropriate as new volunteers are recruited.

HDO Professional development opportunities which will be of benefit for project delivery

Internal and external training identified

1&2 Receive necessary training to fulfil role

700 Feedback from HDO. Training needs are met.

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T:9 Training associated with Health & Safety on building sites for photographer recording the construction works (to produce time lapse) and HDO. This is a requirement of the contractors Mansells. These people will need to pass the CITB Health Safety and Environment test.

Volunteer, local resident

Meeting H&S and personal safety standards

Mansells to advise, HDO time to book

1 1 volunteer and member f staff trained and retained

200 Feedback from participants

Action Plan: Operational

Activity Audience Benefits Resources Timetable Targets Cost Evaluation

O:1 Marketing and promotion budget (3 years) Everyone Separate budget to promote heritage events and activities

Designer. Print run. Local distribution

1, 2&3 Achieve maximum attendance at events through well-designed and distributed print to accompany social media campaigns

3000 Visitor feedback No. of people attending events and activities

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Activity Audience Benefits Resources Timetable Targets Cost Evaluation

O:2 To commission a consultant to create an evaluation framework and question bank for project. To advise on progress.

n/a Experienced evaluation professional to set monitoring and evaluation. Makes gathering data easier in long term

Freelance commission. BCC Officers, HDO

1,2&3 Easy to use framework established. Process for gathering data starts in year 1

3300 Monitoring reviews are successful. HDO, Officers and volunteers are able to contribute

O:3 To redesign the website and include accessible local history resource, maintenance, hosting and security for 5 years.

Internet users

Useful resource created as well as communication tool

External commission HDO time

1,2&3 Annual increase in site traffic years 1-3, 20,000 unique visitors by year 3

6500 No. of hits. No. of users to history resource. User survey

O:4 Commission a Heritage Development Officer (PT for 3 years) inc. recruitment costs and on-costs. 3 days per week @ £27,000 pro rata

n/a n/a BCC Council Officers to recruit, Press and PR, advert

Recruit year 1 by Jan 2014 for 3 years

Recruit suitably experienced candidate and retain until end of contract

60000 Supervision, Observation, Annual Performance Review

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4.2 Key Recommendations

1. The commission of a Heritage Development Officer with sufficient experience of delivering learning and participation programmes as well as managing and training volunteers. Recruitment for the commission should start as soon as funding is secured.

2. Programme provision for heritage days into the annual calendar (yr 2 onwards). To

include:

One 2-hour session weekly for a school visit

One 2 hour session monthly at the weekend or at twilight for heritage tours, talks or heritage-related activity

Four special event days each year: i.e. weekend day over Heritage Open Days, VE Celebration day Sat 9 May 2015.

3. SB (as the new community facility), should continue to cater for centre users as well

as potential day visitors and groups interested in the ‘heritage offer’. It is important to keep the balance so existing audiences do not feel excluded or local people alienated. This includes a pricing strategy for events.

4. Bring in new audiences through theatrical performance and participatory arts; ensure

that local BAME voices are heard in explorations of Stirchley history.

5. Work with people who already work locally with young people living in Stirchley as they are best placed to bring together a group of young volunteers to participate in the project; provide opportunities to be social as well as to learn.

6. Work collaboratively with local cultural and arts groups and support their activity.

Work together to programme local events to avoid clashes and maximise marketing potential.

7. Create opportunities for the local community to come together and demonstrate

Stirchley’s community spirit through events. Position SB at the heart of this activity and create new reasons for people to visit the building.

8. Introduce mechanisms to count visitors to SB, not just to community centre activities

but for people who have an interest in the building and its history.

9. Reduce anxiety during the transition period for Community Centre user groups by inviting them to go ‘behind the scenes’ during conservation works and feel part of the process (i.e. watching their new home be built).

10. Invest in training for volunteers to build skills and capacity within the local community

which can be a shared resource (potentially via the Stirchley Urban Resource Network).

11. Involve community members in the planning of events and projects to increase a

sense of ownership and legacy beyond the life of the HLF funded activity.

12. Continue the momentum started by www.stirchleybaths.org and related social media through regular updates on conservation works. This will take the form of films edited by school children, photographs of changes within the building, social commentary by volunteers, and information posted by the site manager and BCC Officers.

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13. Review activities and events through the use of focus groups with different target audiences.

5. MEASURES OF SUCCESS

5.1 Evaluation

5.1.1 Evaluation is needed to ensure that activities are relevant, events well-represented and target audiences are growing as expected. You also want to ensure that visitors to Stirchley Baths community ‘hub’s ‘heritage offer’ as well as community users are satisfied, inspired and recommending a visit to others. Because the primary motivation for the majority of visitors to SB will be to attend community centre classes or group activities, visitor numbers will be captured through the usual recording system. It is important that there is also a mechanism for capturing the numbers of curious minds who pop in to have a look at the architecture – perhaps they will have picked up a leaflet and, intrigued, decided to see for themselves when next passing by. Asking all non-regular weekly visitors to sign a visitor’s book is one option being considered.

5.1.2 Certain activities are easy to measure numerically such as pre-booked tours and the

number of participants involved in a film or arts project, the number of activity leaflets picked up, how many downloads of a historical information leaflet, how many different ‘virtual’ visitors to www.stirchleybaths.org and related social media etc…

5.1.3 There also will need to be a framework for evaluating the experience of visitors at

events and participating in activities such as a family treasure hunt around the building or for parents participating in interactive storytelling sessions with their children. Reactions can be collated through self-completion questionnaires, a graffiti wall, face to face interviews with volunteers or by writing (and posting in the postbox provided) an imaginary postcard to a relative with their impressions of their visit, for example. There is a budget allocated in the Activity Plan to commission a consultant to put together an evaluation framework in the very early stages.

5.1.4 Participatory outreach projects designed to engage with ‘harder to reach’ audiences

(i.e. young people) can be evaluated throughout; measuring changing perceptions through questioning at the start, during and after a project has ended. Often, more creative methodologies are effective such as participants interviewing each other, or a ‘Big Brother’ diary room-style interview.

5.1.5 BCC operates a customer feedback, complaints and complements service in its

buildings and this will also contribute to overall measure of visitor satisfaction. 6. CONCLUSION 6.1 The purpose of this Activity Plan is to accompany BCC’s round 2 application to the

Heritage Lottery Fund. This plan seeks to highlight the following:

Who will be the regular users of SB in the context of local and geographical communities

Who the target audiences will be to a ‘heritage offer’

The potential of SB as a learning resource for schools and family learning

The potential of SB as a venue for creative performance and participatory arts projects

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The importance of programming heritage activities alongside community centre regular activity; to enhance programmes rather than clash

The potential of the ‘heritage offer’ to attract new audiences into the building and area

The vibrant community networks with which the SB project can align itself with can increase sustainability and maximise potential. Work collaboratively where possible to share resources.

“Stirchley needs to find its heart again. A hub for everyone is what is needed; children, teenagers,

families, older people, you and me!” 6.2 Above all, we hope to have highlighted through our consultations the importance of

Stirchley Baths to local people. It is as a place which holds an archive of community memories; a place which has become a symbol of decline in the area and now, on the brink of restoration, a starting point for the area’s recovery. SB is a place where people will be able to come together once more to socialise and enjoy their historic surroundings. There is great excitement that this lost building will once again stand proud at the heart of the community and, through its new use as a community facility, will be a building that local communities can use and will be proud once more to call their own.

7. RESEARCH SOURCES Gordon, Ian and Inglis, Simon, Great Lengths; the historic indoor swimming pools of Britain. English Heritage, 2009 Harbour, Vanessa, “A holy and endangered activity? Birmingham’s Edwardian Baths, Dissertation Ironbridge Institute: 2006-7 The PlayHouse, Pool of Memories Evaluation Report,2012 Cotteridge Park Play Day 6th August 2009. Survey of Leisure and use of Stirchley Community Centre Presentation for Neighbourhood Forum, 12.11.12 Peter Wright – Area Manager, South Planning and Regeneration

Birmingham City Council, Supplementary Planning Guidance: The Stirchley Framework 1994 (Amended 2002) Hansford, Linda and Rowland, Pat Rowland (eds.) Memories of Stirchley, Stirchley Community Group Raymond Jones, Paul The History of Bournville Lane Baths

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Will the Stirchley Baths Project Sink or Swim?

Over 200 local people turned out to weigh in their support for the Stirchley Baths project at this community art event and turn the word SINK into SWIM!

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APPENDICES A: List of Consultees B: Timetable for Stirchley Community Centre (June 2013) C: Heritage Development Officer Commission Job Description D: Community Consultation Notes E: Sample Volunteer Role Descriptions F: History Group Workshop Notes G: Key History Dates H: English Heritage Listing Description

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APPENDIX A: LIST OF CONSULTEES Face to Face Interviews: Stirchley Baths Community Stakeholders Group *These people have been spoken to at one or more event as well as face to face interview. They have only been counted once.

1. Brenda Thomas, Neighbourhood Forum* 2. Cllr Phillip Walking* 3. Cllr Rob Seeley* 4. Cllr Timothy Huxtable* 5. Emma Larkinson, Place Prospectors/Friends of Stirchley Park* 6. Genivieve Pearson, Stirchley Happenings* 7. Jessica Allen, local resident* 8. John Lish, local resident* 9. Karen Cheney, Service Integration Head, Selly Oak District, BCC* 10. Margaret Walker, Neighbourhood Forum* 11. Marian Wolff, Librarian, BCC 12. Mohammed Irfan, Community Centre Manager, BCC* 13. Paula Aubery, local resident* 14. Peter Walker, Neighbourhood Forum* 15. Robert Grovesnor, Lifford Business Association 16. Rowena Evans, Neighbourhood Forum* 17. Ron Coley, Neighbourhood Forum* 18. Roxie Collins, Stirchley Happenings* 19. Sandra Cooper, local resident* 20. Sue Jackson, Community Centre & Initiatives Officer* 21. Sue Knottenbelt, Head of Adult Education Service, BCC

Other face to face interviews

1. Amy Pond, Bath University*

2. Brian Sheriden, Friends of Stirchley Park*

3. Chris Butler, South & City College 4. David, Stirchley Library

5. Davie Clifford, Headteacher, Stirchley Community School

6. Denise, Stirchley Library

7. Dr Andy Ledger, Drama Department, University of Birmingham

8. Gillian McCarmack, local resident/Disabled person

9. Imogen Mortiboys, St Andrew's Healthcare* 10. Jane Baker, photographer, local resident

11. Janice Connelly, Artistic Director, Women & Theatre 12. Jayne Murray, Place Prospectors

13. John Horlick, organiser of Stirchley Tea Dance

14. Julie Evenson, organiser of Parents & Toddler Group*

15. Julie Richmond, South & City College 16. Linda Priddon, Organiser of Stirchley Stitchers*

17. Marcela Matejickova, St Andrew's Healthcare 18. Mark Sloane, appointed Architect, Acivico

19. Martin Griffin, Youth Worker ‘detached’ youth project, Stirchley

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20. Nassar, Teacher, Arabic classes at Community Centre

21. Olivier Jamin, Community Development Officer, DeafPLUS

22. Peter Evans, Friends of Strichley Park*

23. Rachel Snape, Women & Theatre 24. Ron Cooley, local resident*

25. Sabra Khan, Selly Oak Arts Forum

26. Sophie Handy, The Old Print Works

27. Stuart Oddy, youth worker, ‘detached’ youth project, Stirchley

28. Stuart Rogers, Mansell PLC 29. Tim Hughes, Headteacher, St Edwards Catholic Primary School

30. Tom Cahill-Jones, Stirchley Happenings*

31. Wendy Pearson, local historian, resident*

Events, focus groups and presentations

Number of individuals engaged A stall at Stirchley Community Market 120 Public ‘Community Art Challenge’ event at Stirchley Library and outside SB

200

2 reminiscence ‘Splash Back in Time events 37 Face to face interviews 52 Stirchley Baths Community Stakeholders Group 20 Stirchley Neighbourhood Forum 30 Stirchley ‘Detached’ Youth project 18 Parents and Toddler Groups 15 adults Parents of children who attend Arabic lessons (community centre user group)

22 adults, 6 children

Stirchley Library Story Tots (parents and toddlers) 18 adults, 16 children Members of Stirchley Stitchers (community centre user group)

10

Patients and staff in the mental health recovery forum at St Andrews Healthcare, Stirchley

18 adults

School Council Representatives at Stirchley Community School

10

Junior Assembly at St Edwards Catholic Primary School 210 DeafPLUS 6 Friends of Stirchley Park Meeting 4 Consultation with heritage enthusiasts at Coffin Works tours run by Birmingham Conservation Trust

60

870

Social media campaign (first 10 weeks) 1093 different visitors to website, 245 followers on Twitter, 69 people ‘like’ on facebook.

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The following people have been interviewed as part of reminiscence work to gather local stories and memories about the Baths:

1. Brenda Hawksford

2. Brenda Thomas

3. Denise Cutting

4. Fiona Cullinan

5. Jean Baker

6. Jean Wyatt

7. Jeanne Glenn

8. Jenny Barnwell

9. Joan Andrews

10. Ken Seeney

11. Lillian Smith

12. Mrs Hawkins

13. Maureen Pritchard

14. Noreen Evans

15. Ron Coley

16. Sandra Braker

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APPENDIX B: Timetable for Stirchley Community Centre (June 2013)

Monday Parent & Toddler 10.00am - 12.00pm Term Time Urdu/Arabic Class (Children) 5.30pm - 7.00pm Communisave 7.00pm – 9.00pm Table tennis/ Badminton 7.15pm – 9.15pm

Tuesday T. Dance 1.30pm – 4.30pm Urdu/Arabic Class (Children) 5.30pm – 7.00pm Karate 7.00pm – 8.30pm

Wednesday Parent & Toddler 10.00am – 12.00pm Depression Alliance 11.00am – 1.00pm Last Wednesday each month Peggy’s Pilgrims - needlecraft 1.30pm – 3.30pm Well Naturally (Sports injury/massage) By appointment only Councillor Surgery (Labour) 5.30pm – 7.00pm Urdu/Arabic class (Children) 5.30pm – 7.00pm Nassar (Sports – Children) 6.00pm – 7.00pm Badminton 8.30pm – 9.30pm

Thursday STELLA Women’s Group 12.30pm – 3.00pm Badminton 1.30pm - 2.30pm Urdu/Arabic class (children) 5.30pm – 7.00pm Stirchley Advisory Committee Meeting 6.30pm – 7.30pm Last Thursday every other Month Stirchley Stitchers 7.15pm – 9.15pm Ninjitsu 7.30pm – 9.30pm

Friday Stirchley Community Group 10.00am – 11.00am 1st Friday each Month Parent & Toddler 10.00am – 12.00pm Term time Crosspatches various needle crafts 10.00am – 12.00pm Activity Club Children 8 -12 yrs 5.30pm – 7.00pm Term time Urdu/Arabic class (children) 5.30pm – 7.00pm Mr Shambuyi 7.30pm – 9.00pm

Saturday Available for private hire/ party’s/ functions/etc Soccerstars children 1-5yrs 9.00am – 1.00pm Ghana Union 5.00pm – 8.00pm Last Saturday each Month

Sunday Available for private hire/ party’s/ functions/etc Mr Shambuyi (Church Service) 11.00am – 2.00pm

Other Badminton /Table Tennis - £7 per hour Meeting Room - Available for hire Playscheme – for children 6-11 yrs Easter & Summer

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APPENDX C: Heritage Development Officer Commission (Job Description) JOB NO: POST NO: DATE:

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Heritage Development Officer DIRECTORATE: Homes and Neighbourhoods

GRADE: DIVISION: Selly Oak District JOB NO; 1 SECTION: Stirchley Baths Community Hub

Job Purpose To develop, promote and deliver a programme of community engagement for the

Stirchley Baths Community Hub project specifically aimed at getting local people involved with and learning about the heritage of the former Baths building but also the history and heritage of the wider Stirchley area.

To work proactively with the local community, partners and voluntary/public sector

agencies in promoting the preservation and development of Stirchley Baths, raising awareness of the significance of the site and promoting its heritage merit within the City.

Duties and Responsibilities 1. To develop and deliver a varied programme exhibitions, activities and events that

enables people to learn about and get involved with the heritage of the site. This programme should appeal to visitors of all abilities, ages and backgrounds, and primarily be aimed at increasing the use of the site by local people.

2. To increase awareness of, and involvement in, the heritage of the site by the local

community through the use of digital technology and social media.

3. To manage and deliver the HLF Activity Plan for the Stirchley Baths Community hub project

4. To develop a range of heritage and educational materials and media about the site

and the Stirchley area as a whole. 5. To contribute to the development proposals for the site, particularly in relation to

public access and educational issues. 6. To take an active role in community consultation and communication through regular

attendance at community meetings. 7. To establish systems for monitoring and evaluating the public access and community

engagement elements of the project. 8. To support partnership working with partners both inside and outside of the City

Council and maintain good communication with partners organisations.

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9. To co-ordinate and manage group visits to the Stirchley Baths if feasible. 10. To be responsible for the management of delegated budgets allocated to access and

lifelong learning services. 11. In conjunction with BCC marketing and communications staff, to ensure the effective

marketing and promotion of the public facilities and programmes available. 12. To sustain awareness of current approaches and good practice in the community and

outreach sector, and seek to apply them with respect to the project. 13. To contribute to the strategic objectives of Birmingham City Council and Stirchley

District in particular. 14. To recruit, train and manage a pool of volunteers to support delivery of the HLF

Activity Plan. 15. To undertake any specialist/general training required by the post. 16. To ensure that all duties and activities are undertaken in compliance with the

Council's Standing Orders, Financial, Health and Safety, and Equal Opportunities policies and regulations and the Heritage Lottery Fund’s monitoring and recording schedules.

17. To undertake any other duties commensurate with the grading and designation of the

post. Relationships: i) Accountable to : Service Integration Head - Selly Oak District ii) Key Contacts: Stirchley District and other BCC officers

Marketing and PR staff Community Groups Volunteers

Professional Bodies External Funders

Other Details: 1. Basic Hours – 22.5 hours a week, 3 years fixed-term commission 2. Workplace – Stirchley District Office in year 1, increased on-site presence at

Stirchley Baths Community ‘hub’ in years 2-3 3. The postholder will be expected to carry out his/her duties at such times and upon

such days as may be most effective in respect of the task to hand. This will from time to time involve attendance during evenings, weekends, and Bank Holidays.

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EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN EMPLOYMENT POLICY STATEMENT: Birmingham City Council will ensure that all existing and potential employees receive equal consideration, and is committed to the elimination of unlawful or unfair discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, disability, colour, ethnic and national origin, nationality, sexuality, marital status, responsibility for dependants, religion, trade union activity and age (up to 65). It is the intention of the City Council that its workforce, at all levels, should reflect the composition of the City's population. To achieve this the Council will take active and positive steps to eliminate discrimination, reduce the effects of past discrimination and to promote equality in employment.

Department of Leisure and Culture Person Specification

Job Title: Heritage Development Officer Division: Stirchley District

(Stirchley Baths) Grade: Section: Method of Assessment (MOA) AF – Application Form, I – Interview, T – Test, P – Presentation

CRITERIA ESSENTIAL MOA

Experience Ability to demonstrate in-depth previous experience of developing, implementing and managing education/lifelong learning programme within a heritage environment. Previous experience of devising and producing materials and interpretative media, exhibitions, organising events and activities to support and facilitate visitors from diverse backgrounds and abilities. Experience of working within a community environment and delivering public sessions within that community. Experience of supervising staff and volunteers and delivering training sessions and workshops.

AF/I / P AF/I AF/I/P AF/I

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Skills and Abilities Ability to organise tasks, work with initiative prioritise workloads, and meet any required deadlines. Ability to communicate clearly in either a written or verbal form. Ability to devise monitoring structures and reporting mechanisms. Awareness of and positive approach to equal opportunities issues in service delivery and employment. Ability to work alone, and as part of a team.

I AF/I/P AF/I I AF/I

Ability to work with a wide range of people including other local authority officers, community representatives, business and professional organisations, specialists and consultants. Ability to understand the role of heritage within a culturally diverse city. Ability to give talks, lectures and presentations. Ability to use IT systems for the purposes of administrative and management tasks, general correspondence and educational service delivery. Ability to manage delegated budgets and the financial systems relative to the provision of educational services within the workplace. Ability to understand comply with Health and Safety legislation/issues within the workplace. Ability to work in challenging situations to achieve a wider understanding of the role of the site and greater audience development. Ability to use social media to promote and review events and activity.

I I / P AF/I / P AF/I AF/I AF/I AF/I / P AF/I / P

Training Development Able and willing to undertake any training deemed appropriate to the post.

I

Education /Qualifications Degree in relevant discipline or demonstrably equivalent level of academic skills/experience. Post graduate qualification in relevant discipline or demonstrably equivalent level of professional skills/experience gained in a museum/heritage/ community context.

AF AF

Other

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APPENDIX D: Community Consultation Notes Ideas, comments, memories, statements of support collected on hands or through workshops and focus groups. 1. History and heritage-related activity suggestions (public, local residents):

The baths history could be taught to the next generation when the building includes provision for toddler/parents and child hall for stay and play

Dressing up, storytelling, role plays

Dancing. I would like to get taught how to dance by older people

Keep the craft of stone typography alive!

Learning different types of dancing (1940s)

Role play; buying tickets at original prices (tea dance lessons)

Community archivist to support setting up as community archive

Definitely like oral history project to keep memories of swimming alive

I would like to do a by gone Stirchley day for grand opening

Let’s have some 1940s dance and music events

Community archive to bring the oral history and other people involved activities together for tomorrow’s history

WW2 Evacuation zone. Dancing pool covered

Theatre production; children, community, link to pop up films. Concentrate on 1 or 2 areas (e.g. dance in the 1940s)

TILE DESIGNS – missing tiles, tile stealers. The history of ceramics? Ceramic artists? Involved with rent?

Interactive story telling of kids with dressing up, role play etc…

Play 1940 games and dress up in 1940 clothes. Have a sports hall (Nabela, 10)

Living history, role play, treasure hunts etc...…

VE Day party on the day it opens and all the stuff they would have had. e.g. WWII games

Treasure hunts, quiz nights (Naqsh, 12)

Activities based around the history of all the community facilities in Stirchley including the library, TASCOs and the current community centre and the story of how it got built through community action. Maybe an exhibition / celebration of all that has gone on in this community centre before it is demolished - after all, if the council didn't have this place to sell to TESCO there wouldn't be the money to do up the baths!

2. Suggestions on what and how to interpret the history and heritage of the Baths and wider Stirchley area (on-site):

Documentary films about local history, photographs, stories from local people

History boards

Stirchley the Musical

Pictures around the walls of the baths as it was over the years

Architecture tour (speak to Rowena)

In answer to making it an attraction: something different “iconic” with the tower? Something striking, visually, artistically, contemporary - which is reflective of the aspirations of our community. Create a soundscape audio tour (talk to Tom, Stirchley Happenings)

Identity of Stirchley – Hazelwell swallowed up by Bournville/Cadbury’s

1911 transfer from Worcestershire to Warwickshire, Kings Norton and Northfield

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UDC

Donation of suite in 1903 by Cadbury Bros Ltd (corporate philanthropy)

Civic Quarter – library, baths and park – all open to the public

Link restoration to existing historical heritage trail and Interpretation/information boards

Use old street signs/road names as decoration

Can the original kiosk be restored?

ALL periods in Bath’s history – what can you leave out?

Audio visual film – snippets of whole history; using oral history to bring stories to life

Bring to light stories of couples meeting at dance hall etc.. not just baths

Teaching kids to swim; preparation for safe leisure, health, fitness and well being

Stirchley needs its own history book!

Is there any archive film footage that we can show?

All parts of the history are important – nothing should be left out. I particularly love the fact that people used to cover the pool and dance on top – sounds like brilliant fun, but also shows how resourceful people can be. Multipurpose structures – Yesss! Can we do a modern day dance / music night using pool cavity and balcony?

What it meant to people when the baths was first opened – for health and society and as a meeting place. The ideals of society and council at the time in 1910 to provide free libraries and free public facilities to better people’s lives… compared to now!!!

Stories from wildlife that resided in the building while it was closed. Something creative and playful for adults and children!

Documentary films on local history. Interactive iBook with maps and historical trails

A treasure hunt to find the interesting features of the baths

We just saw a great baths restoration in Heidelberg, Germany called 'Alles Hallenbad'. Tiling in the original style. Pool covered but edges (with diving warning etc…) still visible, old signage (in great old fonts) maintained. All makes the history obvious

It would be great to see the history shown through the building itself with old signs, edge of the pool still intact - perhaps also incorporating some inconspicuous signs to enhance understanding

Bring back the clock

A café with a gallery of historic photos and pictures of the place in which I learnt to swim

I would like to see photography and film events, both historical and contemporary

I'd like to see each of the new rooms decorated with photographs donated by people who have memories of using the baths. People's memories written on the walls, photos of Stirchley high street as it was, black and white, sepia, 70s colour

Film of the baths as it is currently - guided tour interspersed with photos and people's memories and time lapse of rebuild

Insights into the Quakers and what they brought to B'ham plus chocolate tasting!

A permanent notice board in the entrance foyer for reminiscence

Make a model of the swimming baths

Build an archive (digital?) of memories and artefacts from the Baths. Encourage visits from school children - combined trips to the library and Stirchley Park

Timeline of photos.

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3. Some memories written on hands:

I remember swimming there. I’d like to see images of the baths in the 80s. I remember Stirchley shops in the 80s. I want Stirchley shops to thrive. I’d like family activities in Stirchley. Restored swimming baths and family spaces

I was in a swimming gala here representing 96th Scouts, probably in about 1983. Great to keep the building. Would be great to turn it into a local museum. So much history around here

We went every Friday with our 2 children

I used to drop the kids off into the pool, go shopping then we would all go home again! (1970s)

"Sauna, Heat, Massage, Tuesdays, BLISS!"

"I remember the sauna in the late 1960s. Typical (Eastern European) Masseur. Staff warming their lunch (pies) in the hot room"

"I learned to swim here in 1960 after a close shave. I nearly drowned in the sea at Costa del Sol!"

Band leader was Den Jones from Kings Norton

The words 'merry xmas Stirchley' gently hanging from scaffolding in 2011. Retweeted by the local police. Stirchleyness

Fond memories of taking my toddler swimming at Stirchley Baths 28 years ago. So pleased it will have a new lease of life in the future

I used to swim here! Would love to bring my children here for fun and memories!

Met my husband 1962 every night as he swam here every day. Still going strong

Have lived here since I was born in 1974. I used to go swimming at Stirchley Baths every Wednesday for as long as I can remember. It was a sad lose when it closed. I would love to see the building used again!!

4. General Programming of activities suggested for the building (public, local residents) non-Baths heritage (passed on to the programming group):

Meeting room for support group. Dancing. Music. Rehearsal. Entertainment.

Free meeting space. Language lessons. Dancing! Theatre, films

Indoor market, craft fares, history stories, farmer’s market, meeting hall

Adult clubs and classes. Like book clubs, dancing etc…

Children’s activities and classes (after school ) café

Community links. Function rooms for hire. Café, crafts, live entertainment, adult training courses

Baby and Toddler Groups

Big Fun. Dancing!

Hot desk office for local small business to use. Steeled commercial kitchen for small food producers who don’t have premises. Hope – love

Kid’s space!

Places to play with other children

Karate classes, café, local music groups, concerts, adult education classes, kid's clubs, no derelict building

Stay and play, children's activities, pushchair/baby friendly café, attractive décor in café, toddler groups

Stirchley baths moments! zumba classes

Community art for all (especially me)

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Keep fit!, a café

Dance night

I think that maybe an indoor sports hall would make Stirchley attractive

Market, café, performance, meetings, play place, local history centre

Save Stirchley Baths. Birthday parties, choir, dance classes, music, cinema, holiday club, sports, history

Bicycle café and secure storage and lots of sticky buns! 100 meters from River Rea cycle route

Local venue and local talents. Adaptable performance space for young musicians and performers

An inside play area plzz

Anything to do with Stirchley and help get people out. I know how we enjoyed the swimming baths

More children's activities, after school clubs

More children's activities, meeting of new friends

Art displays, local crafts

Lovely old building - about time this was restored for community use! Courses, writer groups, market, local history, local arts etc…

Community cooking involving all ages. Learning about nutrition and how to make healthy value meals from scratch

Community spaces for kids and families - nice cinema cage and places to park your bike. A small heritage centre would also be brilliant - Stirchley has a great and important history to Birmingham

A place to hold community classes to help the Stirchley community learn and develop skills

More play scheme and a youth club or café. More things for kids to do

Swimming pool :)

Theatre (Abigail 5 1/4)

Sport, food bank, residents association, art, music

A big café (Keira, age 5)

1. Gaming arcade. 2. swimming baths 3. ice skating rink. 4. climbing course

Come to a school for a play (Fareena, 10)

A meeting place for our community. Preserving our history. Vintage nights, dance nights, film nights, tea and coffee!

cake making, café, local history bread making

Dancing community art projects. Local events

Place to play with other children

Community art

Talk to people

Bring Stirchley community back together. Arts centre café, meeting place, cinema

Toddler groups, clean loos, facilities for dancing, attractive café, nice lighting essential. Make it look good rather than functional

Little play area

Facilities for babies, toddlers and teenagers - get menus - kinds involved in choosing colours, furniture. Seasonal; events, display showing old pictures of baths, dancing - kids and adults, Interactive music events, family

A swimming pool!! But if not… a child friendly café with space for them to play. Community owned and run

Book club, knitting club, war time dances, make do and mend, dress making. 5 Things for Stirchley Baths

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Adult education. Public meetings. Older people support (e.g. tea dances, café, local history

Local history walks

Nature trails

Local meeting area and chance for children to interact

Ideally I'd like a swimming pool….! Dance hall, comedy, café, youth club, exhibitions (e.g. photo memorabilia, local artists, schools)

Sports!! After school clubs. Book clubs, arts stuff, weekend activities, movie nights, food bank

Storytelling, music, crafts, singing, baby friendly activities

Exhibitions, plays, comedy, history, music, café, meetings

Indoor play resource

I would like my play group in building of old baths

Affordable children's activities, play area indoors, enough parking spaces, push chair/wheelchair access, easily accessible

Children play

Theatre and knitting clubs!

1. a park 2. a museum. 3 a café

A place for family and community leisure activities. A building that fits the architecture of the area

Birthday parties

Used to so swimming with my sisters now I'm retired I'd love to have it as a meeting centre with activities - dance, yoga, keep fit, then the link with the past remains

Karate club

Dancing

A 50s tea dance

Old time music hall

Local talent nights

Gin and 50s tea dance and afternoon tea

A place to play

Concerts

Intergeneration with young / older people. Weekly / monthly/ 2 a year sessions

Activities for younger children 3+ at school times. Mother and toddler activities. 5. Statements of support written on hands (includes all. NB some statements are expressions of love and support for wider Stirchley area and community rather than statement on the Baths project alone):

Stirchley needs to find its heart again. A hub for EVERONE is what is needed; children, teenagers, family, older people, you and me. (Jess Allan)

Save Stirchley Baths

We like what you are doing (translated from Bengali)

We all want Stirchley Baths. It used to be great. Please bring it back

To plug a gap in the community by giving the baths a new life and meaning; from Stirchley past to its future (John Lish).

A place to meet, eat, drink and converse

Preservation for next generation

Memories

Restoration/regeneration of Stirchley Baths for the benefit of the local community (cllr Huxtable)

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Give Stirchley the look it needs. Restore, restore! Great plans to have Stirchley baths up and running!!

Stirchley bath memories!

I would like to see the outside façade kept the same and preserved

At last a project with the community in mind. Long live the project!!!

The restoration of a fantastic building! A way to save a piece of local history

SUGGESTED NAME: Call it ‘bathtub’ community centre

I strongly concur

I love Stirchley Baths

Stirchley Good Community Spirit; elderly, young people, activities, play group, fun

For children who can come and play and they can have fun

Save Stirchley baths for Stirchley village!

Love Stirchley. It’s got the best tea stops! Welcoming, friendly, useful, community

"Driving past the Stirchley Baths is a highlight of my daily commute. The building is beautiful"

"Stirchley is a lovely community! We need a place special to meet each other!"

I would not visit if it is a ‘crusty’ old fashioned community centre that only caters for the needs of a few. It must be ‘for everyone’

Make the centre possible for special events – outside people spending money here!

Incorporate nudism!

The baths must have formed a vital part of a lot of people’s childhoods

I want to see that brand new!!

Learn from the past to make a better future - 'celebrating - space - weddings, birthdays, anniversary’

Restore Stirchley to its former glory

Save the baths!!

Supporting Stirchley from 'Fast aid' community responders 999 Medical emergencies

The president wants a swim!

It is such a beautiful building and will make such a difference to the community once restored!

Let's look after our historic buildings! Remember to provide safe parking for bikes!

Hands up for restoring the baths!

To see a wonderful old building finally coming back into use. It's been a neglected site for too long

Bringing people together

Charlie dog thinks this is a jolly good idea

Community

Family

Stirchley baths. The 1st step in regenerating Stirchley

A centre for Stirchley community! Bringing people together and improving the area! Preserving local history

Let's not let another piece of our heritage go to waste!

Save it, don't knock, use it, don't knock, the building. Use it for little children

How it was built?

Keeping the community at heart! Long live the spirit of Stirchley Baths XX

Hands up who loves Stirchley?! We all do…

Community centre

New directions and footprints

Somewhere 4 people to meet

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Big con. Council have done it again

Somewhere to chill with my mates and meet new people

Bring a smile back to children in Stirchley

Save our baths for our children. For our future. We need you. We need your help. Support us. Save this building please

B'ham Council KEEP OUT. Let someone who cares take the lead for Stirchley

Stop the demise of Stirchley

Please bring back Stirchley Baths so that the community can use the facilities

The building is good

Support the community

We want something for Stirchley now!

I think this could be a great new/replacement facility for our area. Let's make it beautiful and vibrant again!

Swimming. Somewhere to relax. Eat. Drink. Friendly environment

Piece of history and community asset - save Stirchley baths!

Socialising space. To hang out and talk about the history

For our children to call their own

I would like to see some nice decorations

Keep Stirchley moving. Brilliant!

Bring life back t Stirchley

Bring the baths back to brummies

It's too beautiful a building to allow to ruin or be knocked down. Please SAVE it and use it for a real purpose for all of the Stirchley Community

In desperate need of restoration please

Save Our Stirchley

Let’s preserve this piece of heritage. We do not want to lose lovely building like this.

Keep Stirchley alive. Support the community

Used to swim with school. Nice old building. Shame to lose it.

Reopen as baths? It is totally disgusting this beautiful building has been left to rot. I used to swim here many years ago

A hub for people to come together, appreciate the history and engage in wonderful art activities!

People look after their buildings around here so whatever it is used for it will be money well spent

Good luck wish you all the best. Used to go swimming regularly

Where my children learnt to swim when we lived in Lea House Road in the '70s

Just what our community needs!

Best of luck with the bid X

Thumbs up to renovating a much loved grade II listed building

It is nice to keep it, use it, so people can use it for the community. I like the building. Nice shape. Make the road brighter

I love Sterchle (Amina, age 6)

Stirchley Baths for the Stirchley people

Love and support in Stirchley Community

Make it the heart and keeping Stirchley a village

To make a part of our history a part of our future

Please restore to former glory for community use

Hopefully action at last!!

At last light at the end of the tunnel

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Restoration much needed 12 years and counting

Unused buildings are boring! I've been past SB many times but never been inside it, curious to find out what it's like, K Snape (age 11)

Perseverance, patience, progress, participations, performance, people pulling it off

Restore a part of Birmingham's history and provide a community hub for all to use

Stirchley Baths, the building sits in the middle of Stirchley - it will be great to have it open as a community space at the heart of the area

Restore this beautiful old building for the community!

Heart into Stirchley

Would you like to join us?

Bring back the big band dances, quizzes, social events

Please hurry up! This building is collapsing

Most important to see things all as they were and make it relevant to youngsters

Architecture shouldn’t be destroyed. What still remains should be looked after it. Our responsibility

At last the baths are going to be used after 25 years. Maybe this will bring new life to Stirchley Baths.

The Baths they may have come and gone, but memories live on and on

Love

We need the planned community centre

Hope and regeneration

I'd love this to be swimming pool again

It's about time!

Would love to see this renovated and properly used for our community in Stirchley. Hope your bid is successful. Keep up the good work

I love Stirchley

Righting the wrong of the municipal vandalism of closure in 1988

I would like to see the history of the baths retained as far as possible

People, friendship, activity, H, I, Community

A visitor from London says "good luck with this fabulous building"

Thumbs up for Stirchley

Space for community! Bringing people together.

I like the look of the building and think it would be good for the kids. I think they should sell cakes and food

I love amazing Stirchley

Very excited about such a worthwhile project!

Stirchley Baths for the people. It's where it’s at!

For community spaces!

Let's keep our heritage. Hands Off

Save the baths!!

A place for mommies to meet and have lunch

Keep Stirchley Baths for the community

Family respect for history

As a new residents of Stirchley I'd like to see the Baths for the community

A vibrant area where people come together to share ideas to make Stirchley great. People, places, activities, history

Gateway to the park? Restored history of Stirchley

Save the Stirchley Baths = our local heritage

Restore Stirchley community now

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Been living in Stirchley for 13 years and this beautiful building has been unused for so long. I'd love for it to be a place for the community, used and loved again

Please rebuild our building. Please for all the ladies and gents

Memories of swimming in these baths. Priceless!!!! Do something with it!!

Love our local heritage!!

High Five for Stirchley

I love swimming and other activities. I like St Edwards

History, people, skills, architecture. Save our heritage and rejuvenate

Happy community

Museum - history of Stirchley overall including baths for all age groups locally. And community centre

Save our Baths. Treasure Hunt. Look for dates. Bring back the community. Find friends. History

History of Stirchley to inspire future people here

Eye would love to see this building restored and used as a community centre

Would love to have some women's get together dancing type night

I'm looking forward to a new community centre for everyone to come to

I live so close so would certainly go. Also be very interested in the history

Names: 'changing Stirchley rooms', the Stirchley Dive', 'The shallow end'(that's why I took my children to learn to swim there - it had such a large shallow end, unlike Kings Heath which was much deeper overall

Any name other than 'hub' please

History and heritage, networking hub, local art and music, film nights, good café, local politics, theatre, lectures, locally rentable workshops

Local foods

SUGGESTED NAME: Stick with 'Stirchley baths'

SUGGESTED NAME: Call it 'Stirchley baths' that's its name!

SUGGESTED NAME: Stirchley Gem

This car park - very narrow entrance, unable to see if any spaces because it's behind the baths, and an even narrower exit. Could provide some on-street spaces (maybe disabled?) because Hazelwell Street is being downgraded when Tesco is built

Well done for this new building. 7. Notes from focused workshops rather than public events

Focus group with BAME families – Arabic lessons at community centre:

Family activities

Treasure trails / quizzes

Chill out rooms

Indoor sports games

World War themed celebration – with food that people made in the day, old fashioned party games

Activities for kids in the holidays

Any activity, physical and mentally – not much to do around here

Muslim women – older generation – not café users, internet users, would drop kids off and go home, wouldn’t necessarily come to events about history, but would look at pictures on the walls in foyer – it is important to have immediate impact/display in the foyer area

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Socially, the women would welcome ladies only sessions (zumba, yoga)

Film night, things for local families to do

Baths could offer free advice, workshops, services that everyday people can benefit from; they will see the heritage of the building when they are there.

Show/drama/video made by local people about the local community

Hire out a room as a mini museum to preserve the history

Most important to see things as they were and make it relevant to young people. Architecture shouldn’t be destroyed – what still remains should be looked after – our responsibility

Keep as much as possible of the fabric. Preserve as much as you can – you don’t get this kind of baths these days!

Stirchley Community Centre Parents and Toddler Group:

Story telling (laundry, wash baths, sauna, mikvah)

Big book for the under 5s on history of the building

Parents will go to the café

Camera obscura - platform for views of area from chimney

Cinema will be good for this age group

Sensory room – soft areas with built-in ball pit - perhaps create sensory heritage experience? history of baths in a sensory way using music, water, smell of carbolic soap etc…projects on cinema screen, rubber swimming hats, dressing up, towels, sound of children laughing, people pretending they are in the slipper baths

What's in the bag' activity - use props to emphasise the children's ability

Interactive story telling with puppets.

St Edwards Catholic School Junior Assembly ideas:

Compare past and present

Time order through photos

Treasure hunt

Dress up WW2 style

Make cakes and sell

Sports events - old fashioned games

Play old instruments and have a dance

Watch old films of Baths

See plans of the original building.

Detached youth project session:

Sensory room, chill out, music, projections, bean bags, cinema night, mirror maze

Dance teachers

Like to have to have dance lessons from older people – intergenerational dance sessions aged 11-17 and then teaching younger kids. Graffiti walls. Organize an old days event

Holiday scheme

Ball pit and slide for teenagers, sensory area, discos, standard youth night, talent night, open mic night, film night, club night, roller blade disco

Resource needed: dedicated youth worker.

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St Andrews Healthcare staff and patient 'Recovery Forum':

Need to make sure you advertise opportunities

Zumba

Adult education classes

Timeline of photos

Some patients interested in history and would enjoy being told about renovation process

Tie in with adult learners week

Tie in with mental health awareness week

Ask family and friends if they have any memories of the Baths

Film a trailer as part of the project on mental health recovery.

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APPENDIX E: Sample Volunteer Role Descriptions

1. Learning Support Volunteer NB: BCC is developing its own corporate volunteering strategy, so this is just a SAMPLE.

Volunteer Role: Learning Support Officer (Stirchley Baths Community ‘hub’ project)

Responsible to: Heritage Development Officer

Hours and time frame: To cover bookings from schools (2 hour slots)

Location/workspace/equipment:

Various school locations and on-site at Stirchley Baths

Purpose: To deliver educational sessions for schools using the history of Stirchley Baths as a resource for cross-curricular learning; local studies and WWII are two themed packages we hope to offer.

Responsibilities: To research and learn history Stirchley Baths and understand the social historical context for building Edwardian Public Baths

To deliver two workshops which have been developed

To prepare tailor-made workshops on request

To do follow up work with schools, including sending a certificate

To seek evaluation from teachers on the workshop

To evaluate each session and make recommendations on improvement or further areas of development

To keep an accurate record of your volunteer hours and submit a timesheet

Skills/qualities required: This role would suit someone who has experience of delivering educational sessions with schools (key stage 2+) or would like to develop their practice and is willing to be mentored

A passion and interest in social history

Excellent presentation skills

Enthusiasm and ability to engage with children and young people

Ability to retain information

Ability to be flexible, sensitive to children’s learning styles and abilities

Self-motivation and ability to work on your own initiative

Team player

Computer literate

Organisational skills

Support/training provided:

Support of Heritage Development Officer

Familiarisation visits to Stirchley Baths

Historical information and reading

Full training on the workshops

Mentoring and observation

‘Out of pocket’ expenses

Access to archival material

Additional relevant training as identified

DBS check

What Selly Oak District expects from volunteers:

Maintain good working relationships with staff, other volunteers and members of the public

Attend appropriate training

Be reliable in delivering tasks identified

Observe organisational policy and procedures

Protect BCC property from theft, damage or loss, within the limit of their responsibilities

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2. Blogger (Social Network Contributor)

NB: BCC is developing its own corporate volunteering strategy, so this is just a SAMPLE

Volunteer Role: Stirchley Baths Project Blogger (Social Network Contributor)

Responsible to: Heritage Development Officer

Hours and time frame:

Approx. 8 hours a month or longer if desired

Location/workspace/equipment:

Using your own computer equipment / no set location

Purpose: To create relevant content, generate discussion, provide information, opportunities and updates in relation to the Stirchley Baths project through social media channels. While content is primarily created for the www.stirchleybaths.org we also post links and features on Twitter and Facebook pages.

Responsibilities: Research and write blog posts which are relevant to the SB Project. These should have a brief and fairly informal tone - and include pictures

To read previous blogs to get a feel for content generated

To maintain the tone and reputation of the Stirchley Baths website

To tweet about blog, providing links – to direct people to our website and facebook page

Run initial blog posts past Heritage Development Officer – publisher rights to SB social media will be issued after a trial period

To generate and post content (at least twice a month)

To keep an accurate record of your volunteer hours and submit a timesheet

Skills/qualities required:

Good writing skills

Interest in historic building conservation, heritage and community

Self-motivation and ability to work on your own initiative

Knowledge and experience of social media (although training will be provided if required)

Support/training provided:

Support of the Heritage Development Officer in choosing content if required

Access to social media training through Podnosh

Additional relevant training as identified

‘Out of pocket’ expenses

What Selly Oak District expects from volunteers:

Maintain good working relationships with staff, other volunteers and members of the public

Attend appropriate training

Be reliable in delivering tasks identified

Observe organisational policy and procedures

Protect BCC property from theft, damage or loss, within the limit of their responsibilities

To safeguard confidential information about BCC.

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3. Oral Historian

NB: BCC is developing its own corporate volunteering strategy, so this is just a SAMPLE

Volunteer Role: Oral Historian

Responsible to: Heritage Development Officer

Hours and time frame:

Ad-hoc requests (between 5-10 hours per month, or more if desired)

Location/workspace/ equipment:

Using digital audio equipment (we may be able to provide this) / mainly Stirchley / other locations

Purpose: To record memories and stories of people associated with Stirchley Baths

Responsibilities: To identify people to interview and organise interview times and locations

To formulate questions with support of Heritage Development Officer (HDO)

To conduct oral history interviews using training and best practice at all times

To record interviews using WAV digital format and back up recordings onto CD. All interviews will be copyright to Selly Oak District or Stirchley Local History Group (t.b.c)

To complete all the relevant documentation and consent forms with interviewee and provide to HDO

To upload interviews and send to HDO through dropbox, CD or equivalent

To listen to the recordings, write synopsis, identify themes, note track times and provide to HDO

To keep an accurate record of your volunteer hours and submit a timesheet

Skills/qualities required:

Previous experience of conducting oral history interviews (desirable, but not essential)

Good listening skills

Self-motivation and ability to work on your own initiative

Knowledge and experience of social media (although training will be provided if required)

Support/training provided:

Support identifying people to interview (including media campaigns)

Training on using the documentation (and recording equipment if provided)

Oral history training if required

Office space to conduct recordings if required

Additional relevant training as identified

‘Out of pocket’ expenses

What Selly Oak District expects from volunteers:

Maintain good working relationships with staff, other volunteers and members of the public

Attend appropriate training

Be reliable in delivering tasks identified

Observe organisational policy and procedures

Protect BCC property from theft, damage or loss, within the limit of their responsibilities

To safeguard confidential information about BCC.

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APPENDIX F: History Group Workshop Notes (with Stirchley Neighbourhood Forum on setting up a local history group) Over 30 local residents were involved in this workshop which looked at the possibility of setting up a local history group to work on the Baths interpretation scheme and information leaflet, but also as a legacy become a formal group. This workshop was suggested by the committee of the Neighbourhood Forum. Notes below:

Key research themes they would like to explore after Baths

Industry

caravan makers

cinemas and theatres

history of transport

commercial history

industries

chocolate

old boundaries

brick works

key buildings; church, TASCOS, library

River Rea - history of floods, mills

how did Stirchley get its name?

roman road

talking to local people, memories

Stirchley baths / library/friends meeting house/institute

empire cinema/pavilion

transport/canals/rail/toll house

archaeological dig/river/old prefabs

information about church of Ascension burnt down 1966

why the Pineapple in Pineapple Estate?

Suggested ways to gather information

Verbal

internet

library archives

newspapers

Worcester archives

library archives

internet

pulling together what's already been researched

documents/book in the library

go for a walk

speak to residents and businesses

community groups

residents

promote in doctors surgery for elderly

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Local partners identified to work with

business coop

library

Birmingham uni

Stirchley Community Group

residential homes all over

BVT website

Bournville school alumni group

Quakers, Cadbury's

Other local history groups

all schools

Stirchley has many local groups

Stirchley Neighbourhood forum

stirchley.co.uk

Stirchley Happenings

Selly park neighbourhood forum

co-op history group

local schools

residential homes all over

Quakers, Cadbury's

Cadbury Archives

Stirchley Urban Resource Group

Neighbourhood Forum

Skills, resources and equipment needed to set up history group

chairman

note taking

place to meet

a permanent room for material

wifi scanner and computer

artefacts to handle

finding things being stored (i.e. brass plaque by Nigel Dawkins)

access to PC

meeting place

time to suit all

access to books, photos, stories

ask other history groups

facilitation

people skills

oral history collecting

comms

catering

film / video editing

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Skills already available in the Neighbourhood Forum

Wendy Pearson

Ron - contact with library. (Should ne a central focus for any history group)

A Stirchley Community and interest in Stirchley

Sandra copper

Linda Chew

Rowena Evans

people who are used to researching historical information

Training needs assessment for volunteers

public speaking

interviewing skills

conservation

PC skills

IT skills - scanning, pooling resources together online

archive skills - accessing data The recommendation to set up a history group in Stirchley is referred to in relation to activity I:2 and V:3.

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APPENDIX G: Key History Dates Extracted from The History of Bournville Lane Baths by Paul Raymond Jones There is an illustrated history timeline on www.stirchleybaths.org 1903 Cadbury’s offered the Urban District Council a piece of land to build a ‘public swimming baths, slipper or spray baths and washhouse’. 1910 Stirchley Baths was opened. At this time Stirchley was a small village and many of the houses did not have bathroom, but a tin bath in front of the fire. People would come straight from work to use the slipper baths and get clean before going home. When the Baths were built there were laws which segregated swimmers and washhouse users by class and by gender. You were either considered to be First Class or Second Class (working class). Mixed bathing was not allowed until 1927, and then you had to enter and exit the pool by the male or female side. In August 1911 there were 3428 second class males compared with 39 first class males using the swimming pool which shows their importance for working class people from the area. 1914-1918 The baths were kept open during the First World War, although with reduced opening hours. Soldiers and refugees could use the baths free of charge. 1922 The baths were closed for seven weeks due to a coal dispute which became a national crisis. 1927 Mixed bathing was introduced and bye laws were changed to ensure that proper bathing costumes of a thick material were worn (to prevent indecent exposure!) 1933 The assembly room at the baths was used as a rest room for the unemployed during the winter months. 1939-1940 The baths were closed for swimming during World War II and used as a first aid post. It reopened in 1941. People rendered homeless by local bombings were allowed to use the baths free of charge. Two hot showers were installed during this time due to the number of people using the baths during wartime. In the 1940s, during the winter months the swimming pool was boarded over to create a dance floor and music venue. 1964 The Finnish government presented Stirchley with a sauna suite to promote Finland, which was in place for the next 14 years. 1973 A privately-run Jewish Mikvah opened at Stirchley Baths. A Mikvah consists of a sunken bath which was filled with natural water, in this case rainwater. It allows for ritual immersion which is part of the Jewish religion. 1978 A multi-gym was installed in place of the original Finnish sauna. 1988 Closure of Baths due to lack of funds to repair the building at a cost of £1m. 1998 Building is listed Grade II by English Heritage. 2013 Where we are today – applying to the Heritage Lottery Fund for £1.3m to bring the baths back into use, not as a baths, but as a fit-for-purpose community hub.

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APPENDIX H: English Heritage Listing Description SP 08 SE BIRMINGHAM BOURNVILLE LANE Stirchley 997/12/1208 Stirchley Public Baths GVII Swimming baths. 1910, by John P. Osborne. Red brick in Flemish bond and diaper pattern blue brick, and with stone dressings. Slate Roofs. PLAN: Quadrant on plan, with main bath range on north with boiler house and chimney to west, tower to east and range to south and east with main entrance at centre of curved front. Edwardian Baroque style. EXTERIOR: Single storey. Long curved SE front with parapet and cornice, and rusticated stone aedicules with broken pediments containing festoons; moulded cill and cornice and rusticated stone entrance centrepiece with Iconic pilasters, broken pediment containing festooned cartouche inscribed A 1910 D, covered round-arch doorway with quadrant panelled double doors, flanked by small diamond shape windows; small octagonal cupola above with consoles and inscribed Public Baths on drum, and lead-clad dome. Large gable end on right to main north range with moulded string, large semi-circular window with raised voussoirs and oculus on raised gable of ridge light, flanking broad rusticated pilaster on left and tower on right corner, with rusticated stone lower stage with cornice and broken pediment at front with oculus, and brick upper stage with two stone quoins on each corner, and parapet with moulded stone coping raised over corners, and with louvered cupola with shallow lead-clad dome. Chimney at rear west end of north range with round-arch panel and cornice. INTERIOR largely intact. Glazed tile pool, open to braced iron roof trusses and ridge-light; white glazed brick walls with red brick dressings; changing cubicles below and above balconies on side walls. Glazed screen at entrance, ticket hatches and glazed brick walls.