Children Don’t Grow in Boxes… They Thrive in Communities!

Childrens’ Quarter Members and guests meet at SENTRE Childcare, Erdington, Birmingham B23 7EY on Thursday 23 March. Members will be sharing news and information about new, inclusive services that work on the basis of what children and young people can do – rather than what they can’t.  Hosts SENTRE will be talking about their approach. …Read moreRead more

Join CQ for an Adventure at Ackers 9th February 11am-1pm

NOTE: THIS LEARN FOR REAL EVENT WILL START AT 11AM NOT 10AM AS PREVIOUSLY ADVERTISED Part of CQ’s Learn for Real series: this date is your chance to study a green gem – the 75 acre outdoor activity centre overlooking Birmingham city centre that is The Ackers. As well as ski and toboggan slopes, climbing walls,…Read moreRead more

CQ Members’ Meeting: Focus on Inclusive Youth Services

Children’s Quarter Members meet on 12 September at the Factory Youth Centre, Longbridge.  You’re welcome and so are your guests – so please do join us?  We’ll be hearing from member groups; creating space for catch-ups; and, this time, focusing on inclusive youth services. CQ Member groups Seven Up and ATHAC have both been highlighting…Read moreRead more

Children’s Quarter AGM – 19 May 11am

Welcome to our AGM!  Children’s Quarter is a cooperative with: Members that are groups or organisations – they get a vote in decisions Individual supporters – they don’t get a vote but can join in everything else we do a set of Rules – which describe our organisation as a non-profit company based on cooperative…Read moreRead more

People Power – sharing skills for inclusion

Children’s Quarter is a cooperative alliance that brings people together… as staff, volunteers, parents and carers, trustees, funders, researchers and policy-makers, children and young people. We all have skills, ideas, experience and passion that translate – through the groups and organisations that make up the CQ Co-op and the services we run – into social…Read moreRead more

Bridge to Better Local Offer

CQ Members and Supporters follow up on their Campaign for a Better Local Offer on December 3 with representatives of local councils and John Coughlan, the newly appointed Government Commissioner for SEND Services in Birmingham invited. Ofsted’s SEND Local Area Inspection Reports found: in Birmingham, that the City Council was: still without a strategy; still not…Read moreRead more

Learn For Real at Coronation Road

We know that access to suitable spaces and venues limits our Members’ ability to provide inclusive services for children and young people.  At the same time, CQ Members and others have spaces they share.  This informal session over brunch 10-11.30am looks at sharing space and developing shared space for inclusion: making more of what we…Read moreRead more

Funding Focus

Members and Supporters of CQ are welcome to join the next Funding Focus Zoom call online on Friday 12 November 10-11.15am.  We will be looking in particular at: Celebrating Communities small grants Severn Trent Foundation Lottery Partnership funding; as well as giving details of funders who are open for bids and with deadlines approaching; sharing…Read moreRead more

growing UP!

1 in 4 children is disabled or made vulnerable to exclusion by the way we manage the process of growing up.  Changing that experience depends on families, communities and services working together.   We’re hearing from parents, professionals, employers and young people sharing insights and experience of giving children and young people: more resilience; easier transitions; better…Read moreRead more

Do We Need a Better Local Offer?

We think SEND children, young people and their families in Birmingham should have a better Local Offer. Join us by Zoom on 8th and 22nd July to share your experience… The City Council has been given funds by government to improve the Local Offer. The Council says it wil use most of this money to…Read moreRead more