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The Jewellery Quarter Business Improvement District (JQBID) is working in partnership with Birmingham Changing Futures Together to support vulnerable individuals within the Jewellery Quarter. Supporting the homeless community, the partnership strives to ensure individuals get access to services such as housing and healthcare.

The JQBID employ two Ambassadors, Matthew Crawley-Alexander and Aaron Chow, whose role it is to liaise with local businesses and engage with visitors, as well as report on fly-tipping, vandalism and graffiti.

In their outdoor role, the duo will also attempt to engage with rough sleepers and homeless individuals who are struggling to access the services they need. However, due to wearing the JQBID uniform, many homeless individuals find the team difficult to approach and are often put off by their official uniform.

Since August 2019, Matt and Aaron have been conducting regular walkarounds in the Jewellery Quarter together with Sarah Bruce and her colleagues from Inreach/Outreach, part of Birmingham Changing Futures Together.

Inreach/Outreach is a project funded by the Police and Crime Commission and the National Lottery Community Fund to provide better support to those with Multiple & Complex Needs. Led by people with lived experience, the project is pioneering new, innovative ways to engage with and offer support to the homeless community.

Through their regular walkarounds, the Ambassadors highlight certain areas within the Jewellery Quarter where homeless people may have been sleeping rough. Sarah and her team have then proceeded to approach these individuals to assess their needs and assist them in accessing an array of services through their extensive Wider Partnership with 150 local Birmingham organisations. Services include housing, mental health support and other NHS services.

Matthew Crawley-Alexander, JQBID Ambassador, said:

Sarah and her colleagues from Birmingham Changing Futures Together are making a huge difference to our work, particularly when it comes to homeless individuals with complex needs. Birmingham Changing Futures staff have lived experiences of these situations which adds a different level of empathy and understanding when approaching vulnerable individuals. We have found working with them a joy and look forward to the partnership continuing!

Susannah Wilson, the Programme Coordinator for Changing Futures Together, said:

We’re happy to be teaming up with the JQBID who are enabling us to reach more people in the local area who have multiple and complex needs. Through this continued partnership working, we hope to connect more people with the support they need, in order to help them to move forwards with their lives.

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