Come and meet us at our CommUnity Hubs

There is lots happening on your doorstep in the run up to and during the Birmingham 2022 Games - visit our Hubs to find out what's going on near you.

This month, the Community Engagement team are hosting a series of Jobs and Skills sessions to support with Applications and CV writing for the thousands of immediate Birmingham 2022 and Contractor vacancies, in partnership with Clarion Housing and the Department for Work and Pensions. Drop us a line or register for online sessions on EngagementTeam@birmingham2022.com

Birmingham's Best Summer Job 

With thousands of paid roles available, lasting from three weeks to three months, take on a summer job like no other.

Wondrous Stories - Opening The Birmingham 2022 Festival

Photography Dan Tucker

Visual spectacular 'Wondrous Stories' will fill Centenary Square with a joyous and free public performance and will officially open The Birmingham 2022 Festival, on 17 March. It's a six-month cultural celebration shining a global spotlight on creativity in the West Midlands that will sit alongside the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Centenary Square will be transformed into the stage for 'Wondrous Stories', an unforgettable outdoor production by Leamington Spa based company Motionhouse. The show features Motionhouse's internationally-renowned professional dance-circus company alongside a cast of hundreds from Critical Mass, Freewheelin (an inclusive wheelchair dance group), Motionhouse Youth, Sampad and DanceXchange. They will be joined by Birmingham's Choir with No Name and spoken-word artists Raza Hussain and Sebbie Mudhai.

Wondrous Stories will be packed full of visual magic and spectacular aerial moments. With free performances every evening from Thursday 17 - Sunday 20 March, bring your family, friends or colleagues to join us for an extraordinary outdoor experience.

Tell us your story! Visit The Wondrous Story Post Box

Motionhouse are inviting people from across the region to share their story to form a snapshot of life in the area.

Junior Cunningham, Rehearsal Director of Motionhouse said: "Everyone has a story to tell, and we want to hear your extraordinary story. The stories will form a snapshot of life in the region as Birmingham and the West Midlands become the focus of international attention through the Commonwealth Games."

There are lots of ways to share your story, including the Special Wondrous Stories Post Box in The Library of Birmingham. Submissions close on Sunday 20 March.

One Games for Everyone, Thousands of Individual Legacies - United by 2022

Birmingham 2022 is bringing people together, improving health and wellbeing, and putting us on the map. To extend the best projects we've started, grant funds to new ones and take legacy into diverse communities and the places that need it most we have established the United By 2022 Legacy Charity.

The Legacy Charity will build a community fund in the run up to the Games and hopes to open applications for community fund grants in early 2023.

Nicola Turner, Director of Legacy said: "United by 2022 has been established to ensure that legacy doesn't stop when the Games does. This means more local investment and opportunities for young people, communities, and charities. I see it as levelling up in action. This community fund can help us to create thousands of individual legacies well beyong the Games."

United by 2022 has identified three initial campaigns it wants to use the community fund to support:

1. Creating inclusive spaces for everyone to play together

Birmingham and the West Midlands doesn't have enough accessible play spaces for children and young people with additional needs. Working with Local Authorities and organisations like Active Black Country and Sport Birmingham, United by 2022 wants to transform existing playgrounds.

Donations can help towards the £50,000 needed to create inclusive and accessible spaces that will allow everyone to play together.

2. Swimming - an essential life skill

More than two million children in England missed out on school swimming lessons because of the pandemic. Some of them might never learn. United by 2022 will pay for swimming and water safety lessons for young people that missed out.

£15 pays for one lesson and 10 lessons could help someone to obtain their 25-metre badge.

3. Supporting the Gen22 program beyond Birmingham 2022

Gen22 is working with the young people that need it the most - rediscovering their confidence and developing employability skills through hands-on social action assignments and mentoring.

United By Project - No Limits to Health Cycle Hub Grand Opening

Wednesday 30 March United by Birmingham 2022 Project, No Limits to Health, are launching their cycle hub with a community cycle ride from West Park to East Park in Wolverhampton. Sam Henry, Founder of No Limits to Health said: "We want to enable children, young people, and adults to experience the joys and benefits of cycling for health, wellbeing, sport and leisure; by bicycle or assisted powered cycles."

The celebration cycle ride kicks off at 10:30 from West Park Wolverhampton with the grand opening taking place at 1PM Mount Shiloh Church, Hickman Avenue, East Park, Wolverhampton. To find out more and register your interest to take part at the No Limits to Health website.

Birmingham 2022 and the British Council launch school-linking partnership - Commonwealth Connections

The Commonwealth Connections project is twinning 60 schools in Birmingham and the West Midlands with 60 schools across 10 Commonwealth countries from the Carribean, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

Through the project, delivered by the British Council in partnership with Birmingham Education Partnership (BEP) and Youth Sport Trust (YST), young people will explore cultures and beliefs and learn how to communicate with people from different backgrounds and perspectives through a programme of sporting and artistic activities.

Get Set for the Games

If you live or work near one of the venues, or road events, we have launched the 'Get Set for the Games' programme which provides useful information for businesses and residents, to help ensure everyone is ready to welcome 4,500 athletes and more than one million spectators this summer.

To faciliate the smooth running of Birmingham 2022, there will be temporary changes to roads, parking regulations and public transport around the 15 competition venues and the Games accommodation sites.

John Crabtree, Chair of Birmingham 2022 said: "With more than one million tickets already sold and spectators from across the region, country and beyond travelling to all of our sports venues, the region will be a hive of activity, so now is the time for residents and businesses to start making plans for the exciting and busy summer aheads."

All information will be continually updated on the dedicated 'Get Set' section of the Birmingham 2022 website and the new Get Set Twitter account.

New Street Station will host an All-Glass Squash Show-Court

Squash United, a United by Birmingham 2022 project, is bringing together England Squash, The World Squash Federation, Off the Wall Squash, The PSA Foundation and fellow United by Birmingham 2022 project Rackets Cubed to create an exciting squash activation event for the community of Birmingham and the 170,000 people who pass through New Street station daily.

The entire squash community have united around the week's events which include hosting community clubs, local schools, exhibition matches, and an opportunity to meet professional players, as the court will host the semi-finals of the University of Birmingham Open on 8-9 April.

United by Birmingham 2022 Project - Rackets Cubed

Rackets Cubed is a new and innovative intervention, that delivers integrated sport, education and nutrition programs with the aim of improving the lives and aspirations of vulnerable and disadvantaged primary schoolchildren.

Rackets Cubed provides the opportunity for children to have access to:

  • a one-hour sports session of a racket sport delivered by a fully qualified coach
  • a one-hour session on a STEM subject such as Maths delivered by a schoolteacher
  • a nutitional evening meal delivered on site.

Michael Hill, Chairman and Founder of Rackets Cubed said: "Racket sports have become disconnected from local communities, and we want to help communities reconnect with these life-long and accessible sports. Birmingham 2022 provides us a platform to expand our programme and reach more inner-city children providing long term access to the sport, education and nutrition programmes as part of the Games legacy."

There are currently 16 programmes operating across 11 Sites, in six locations (Birmingham, London, Manchester, Hull, Leeds and Wakefield). Each program has 25 to 30 children attending per week. Find out more at racketscubed.com.

Dates for the Diary

Wednesday 16 March - Jobs & Skills Fair, Ward End Community Centre

Thursday 31 March - Online Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Forum

To say hello or register your interest email: EngagementTeam@birmingham2022.com