This evening (Friday 5 June) a meeting of the full council voted on the proposal for the new leader of the council.

Cllr Roger Harmer (Lib Dem) was voted in as leader, with Cllr Julien Pritchard (Green) named as deputy leader.

The new administration is a partnership including Green, Liberal Democrat parties and the Better Birmingham and Birmingham Independent Groups.

Cllr Roger Harmer said: “The challenges our city faces demand both new policies that put our residents first and a commitment to ensure they are actually delivered. Our city requires leadership that is steady, pragmatic, and unwavering in its focus on the issues that matter most to residents. In recent years Birmingham has faced uncertainty, and real damage to its reputation. Now, more than ever, we require a council that unites behind common goals and delivers real change.

“Let us be clear about our priorities. First and foremost, we must get the basics right. Our streets should be free from litter and fly tipping. The bin strike has gone unresolved for far too long, impacting the daily lives of thousands. Tackling this head-on is not optional; it is essential.

“This coalition shows what can be achieved when we put our city above narrow party politics. The Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, and the Independent Councillors have come together, united by a vision of progress grounded in action.”

Cllr Julien Pritchard said: “Green Party Councillors are proud to step up to serve our fantastic city and start working to give hope back to Birmingham. We look forward to working towards a greener, safer and fairer city, one that works for everyone, and where no one resident or community is left behind.”

“Greens believe in doing politics differently and our commitment to this forms the basis of our collaborative administration. We look forward to working with our partners to address residents’ priorities and towards a more hopeful, inclusive and equal city.”

At the meeting the new Leader set out his cabinet members and portfolios, which are:

• Leader: Roger Harmer (Lib Dem)
• Deputy Leader Economy and Sustainability: Julien Pritchard (Green), Deputy (Economy and Sustainability) James Hinton (LD)
• Finance: Chris Garghan (Green), Deputy Shaukat Khan (LD)
• City Operations and Digital (formerly Environment): Harris Khaliq (Better Birmingham), Deputy Joe Peacock (Green)
• Transport: Rob Grant (Green), Deputy Izzy Knowles (LD)
• Housing and Homelessness: Baber Baz (LD), Deputy Atikur Rahman (Green)
• Children, Young People, and Families: Kamel Hawwash (Green), Deputy Mumtaz Hussain (LD)
• Health and Social Care: Nosheen Khalid (BB), Hamzah Sheikh (Green)
• Culture and Heritage: Deborah Harries (LD), Deputy Raheem Humphreys (Green)
• Equalities Communities & Social Justice: Jane Baston (Green), Deputy Jamil Khan (BB)

For the short period the council has been without a political administration, services have continued to be delivered and now the new political leadership will focus on stability and delivery of key services, working alongside senior officers.

Birmingham is one of only five local authorities to have been inspected twice under the CQC assessment framework. We have achieved ‘good’ in both assessments.

The assessments focus on four key themes: working with people, providing support, ensuring safety, and leadership. CQC assess a range of evidence including our processes, people’s experience, feedback from staff and leaders and feedback from our partners.

We know there are areas that still need to improve but we are pleased the CQC has recognised what we are doing well. The report confirms that we are doing a good job in keeping people safe but we know we don’t always live up to people’s expectations and we remain focused on ensuring more consistent, timely experiences for people and carers across the city.

The assessment team found:

• The authority worked well with partners to provide joined up care that effectively met people’s needs. Leaders monitored and evaluated the impact of their partnership work. For example, analysis showed that their prevention services had led to reduced emergency department attendances for people with mental health needs
• Staff carried out care assessments professionally and considered each person’s individual needs, involving their whole support network and helping people to remain independent at home for as long as possible.
• Staff and leaders worked flexibly and adapted quickly to meet people’s needs effectively. They made use of local support networks to achieve best outcomes for their local communities.
• The local authority had made changes to its senior leadership structures, which built on existing frameworks and gave leaders clear roles and responsibilities. These changes had a positive impact, and leaders were addressing the waiting times and safeguarding concerns.
• Birmingham’s range of services – including dementia and brain health community activities, falls prevention, befriending, peer mentoring and support, creative arts and mental wellbeing programmes – helped people achieve positive outcomes.

However:

• Some people told inspectors they would have liked more support when moving between different services. The local authority recognised they needed to develop links with local NHS services further.
• People and unpaid carers using social care services didn’t always feel safe, as there were delayed responses and a lack of clarity on referrals for safeguarding concerns.
• Some people found emergency placements hard to access, as there were shortages in some specialist and complex support services, which led to out of area placements.

Stuart Lackenby, Executive Director Adult Social Care and Health, said:

“We are incredibly proud to have been assessed again as ‘good’ by the care quality commission.

“However, we recognise that we still have work to do to improve our services. Sometimes we don’t offer people support that meets our own expectations, people can wait too long for our intervention, and we don’t get everything right.

“The recognition in the report of the hard work by all our staff and partners is important as they make a difference everyday supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our city, sometimes in difficult circumstances.  Feedback from our staff helped contribute to CQCs understanding of what we do well.  This has been a challenging time for our city, but we are very proud of what we have achieved and will build on this positive result to continue to improve the experiences of the people we support.”

‘Bab the Bull’ was unveiled to cheers when making a last-minute appearance in the Mascot Dash at the Junior and Mini Great Birmingham Run on Saturday 2 May, at Alexander Stadium – Bab’s home ground.

Bab the Bull represents determination, strength, and tenacity – qualities that served Bab well in the mascot dash, placing first. These traits will be on full display as some of the world’s best athletes compete this summer at Birmingham 2026, with Bab cheering them on.

In just 100 days, 1,600 athletes from 48 nations will compete for glory at Alexander Stadium. With 44 gold medals to be won across seven evening sessions, fans will see history made under the floodlights. Many of Europe’s biggest names are expected to set their 2026 summer ambitions in Birmingham, making this a superb opportunity to witness world-class performances on home soil.

With the Junior and Mini Great Birmingham run taking place on the 100 days to go marker, organisers of the event worked closely with the Birmingham 2026 team.  As well as unveiling the official mascot at the youth events, Bab also joined Iwan Thomas as an official starter for the Great Birmingham Run 10K and Half Marathon on Sunday 3 May alongside the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Zafar Iqbal MBE.

The two teams also worked together to ensure under-represented young people from across the city were given the chance to run on the same track that will see Europe’s greatest athletes chase world records and gold medals this summer, by offering free-of-charge entry to pupils from local Perry Barr schools as part of the Beyond programme.

Iwan Thomas, European, Commonwealth and World Championships medallist, knows what hosting the European Athletics Championships means for Birmingham and the UK. He said: “Throughout my career, I’ve had to face some big rivals. No one, however, has really challenged me in quite the way pesky mascots have.

“Don’t let the friendly face fool you – Bab’s got a mischievous streak. I’m looking forward to going toe to toe with Bab this summer, and if he thinks I’m going to put up with any shenanigans, he’s got another thing coming.”

To book and find out more, visit  tickets.birmingham26.com.

The new outdoor multi‑sport space was completed in June 2025 and has been delivered through the Football Foundation’s national PlayZones initiative.

Adderley Park in Alum Rock is one of five PlayZones now created across Birmingham, with additional Playzones at Batchelors Farm Recreation Ground in Bordesley Green, Concord Youth Centre in Sparkbrook, 610 Youth Centre in Kingstanding and Action Indoor Sports in Erdington.

The scheme represents a major investment in community sport and was made possible through £1.2 million in capital funding, with £858k from the Football Foundation, £276k from the UK Government’s the Shared Prosperity Fund and alongside £62k from Sport England.

The PlayZones programme is designed to tackle inequalities in access to sport by providing high‑quality, community‑led spaces where residents can get active and take part in sports such as football and cricket.

Community use and activation of the PlayZones is being funded by Sport England’s Movement Fund and EA Sports, delivered in partnership with Sport Birmingham and the Aston Villa Foundation.

At Adderley Park, Our Community Foundation (OCF) and the Aston Villa Foundation are supporting residents to make the most of the new PlayZone, ensuring it can become a well‑used and valued community asset.

Cllr Mariam Khan, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said: “It is fantastic to see that the Adderley Park PlayZone in Alum Rock is officially open and ready for the community to enjoy. The PlayZone scheme marks a significant investment in our community sport facilities and highlights the importance of creating high‑quality, community‑led spaces for residents to get active and for local clubs to use. These facilities will make a real difference in supporting healthier, more active communities across Birmingham.”

 

Birmingham has seen 6,690 4-week quits in 2024, driven by stop-smoking programmes delivered across the city. Progress is continuing to be driven by Birmingham City Council expanding these services via the smokefree generation grant funding, signalling important progress in tackling health inequalities and achieving Smokefree 2030.

Graph 1: Smoking prevalence in Birmingham from 2011 – 2024 (ONS Smoking Prevalence Estimates)

Despite this progress, tobacco use accounts for approximately 74,600 deaths each year in England with smoking costing Birmingham residents an estimated 288 million pounds a year. However, this year marks the second year of the Smokefree Generation Grant, with Birmingham City Council leveraging this to accelerate its smoke-free initiatives. The council continue to drive a range of programmes, including:

• Local GP and pharmacy led cessation services
• Tailored services for those with severe mental illness
• Tailored services for those accessing substance misuse services and rough sleeping
• Stop-smoking training programmes for VCSFE organisations to deliver stop smoking advice
• Locality specific stop-smoking projects
• City-wide campaigns to increase motivation and awareness of services

In September, Birmingham City Council Public Health hosted its first-ever Smokefree Conference, bringing together senior representatives from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (West Midlands), NHS, Public Health and local medical and pharmaceutical committees. The event showcased the Council’s ongoing commitment to tackling smoking and reflected on the successes of the first year of the national grant programme. It also set out innovative plans to accelerate progress towards the Government’s Smokefree 2030 ambition, with a renewed focus on smoking cessation as a public health priority.

Responding to the figures, Councillor Mariam Khan, Cabinet Member for Health & Social Care said: “It’s encouraging to see rates at an all-time low, which highlights the effectiveness of our stop smoking services and tailored programmes in helping residents to quit smoking in Birmingham.

“However, with over 1 in 10 adults still smoking in Birmingham, we cannot be complacent and must continue this momentum. We urge residents who smoke to contemplate the benefits of quitting and to utilise the local resources available to them. Our complimentary cessation programs are personalised to meet individual needs, making the journey to a smoke-free life more attainable than ever before.”

For more information about local stop smoking support and services, residents are encouraged to visit the Birmingham City Council website: birmingham.gov.uk/stopsmoking

The ‘Find Freedom from Smoking’ campaign will reach residents through multiple channels including social media, digital platforms, radio, and out-of-home displays across the city.

At the heart of the campaign are two powerful affirmations: “I AM in control of my choices” and “I AM stronger than my cravings.”  The campaign takes a positive psychology approach using empowering messaging to help long-term adult smokers across the city take their first steps toward quitting.

The campaign directs smokers to Birmingham City Council’s dedicated smoking webpages, where they can learn more about the support available and connect with the local smoking cessation services delivered by community pharmacies and GPs throughout Birmingham.

Cllr Mariam Khan, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care at Birmingham City Council, said: “We know that quitting smoking is one of the most challenging things someone can do, but we also know that with the right support and mindset, it’s achievable. This campaign is about empowering Birmingham residents to believe in their own strength and take control of their health. Our stop smoking services are designed to meet individual needs, giving our residents the best chance to successfully be smokefree.”

This campaign comes as part of the wider Smokefree Generation initiative being delivered by Birmingham City Council as well as other local authorities across the country. This initiative aims to reduce health inequalities and create sustainable, long-term change in smoking behaviour across the city, with the overarching goal to reduce Birmingham’s smoking prevalence down to less than 5% in line with the Smokefree 2030 target.

To find out more about the support available please visit birmingham.gov.uk/stopsmoking

The national award, celebrating remarkable individuals and organisations, recognises their work supporting unpaid carers in Birmingham.

Councillor Mariam Khan, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, said: “This is a really proud moment for Birmingham and a testament to Forward Carers’ passion, dedication and the real difference they’re making in people’s lives every single day.

“It is also a recognition of the amazing work done by unpaid carers across the city, dedicating time and energy to caring for family and friends often without support or acknowledgement.

“Well done to everyone involved and keep up the incredible work that you do to support other people.”

Chantell Marler, Programme Director at Forward Carers, said: “We’re incredibly proud to receive this award, not only as recognition of our team and partners, but of every carer whose voice has shaped what we do. This award belongs to the thousands of unpaid carers across our communities — their experiences, resilience and insight drive us forward every day.”

The Carers UK Awards honour and recognise those who go above and beyond, whether through caring, campaigning, volunteering, or workplace initiatives to create a more inclusive and supportive society for carers. There were 10 categories with 5 finalists in each. It is understood that there were over 1,000 nominations received from across the UK. To be a finalist is a major accolade. Carers UK awards are recognised as the highest awards for Carers in the UK.

The Outstanding Carer Service award recognises an organisation/provider that delivers a comprehensive service on a local or national level.

Forward Carers was presented with the award on Thursday 16 October.

In 2024, alongside Forward Carers 15+ Delivery Partners in Birmingham, they:

• Registered 5,364 new Carers
• Delivered 3,979 one-to-one sessions
• Completed 2,654 Statutory Carers Assessments
• Distributed £750,000 in Household Support Funds
• Supported 7,130 Carers across 989 groups