Pride of Birmingham Awards
Community activist who transformed his crime-ridden estate into a model neighbourhood.
Chris, now 75, formed the Birmingham South West community group 20 years ago on the Waterworks estate, near Hagley Road, in Edgbaston. Back then burglaries, car thefts and anti-social behaviour were rife, and the estate was plagued by drug dealers with 40 crack dens.
Today the estate has been transformed thanks to Chris and his group. Through a mixture of careful applications, badgering and “just making a nuisance out of himself” he secured funding for CCTV cameras, street lighting, gates and community gardens from sources including the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, Calthorpe Estates and Home Office grants.
The group tackled prostitution by working with the police to offer sex workers a package of health and social security advice, instead of a court appearance.
Chris also worked with environmental charity Groundwork to create a series of gardens – alleyways were blocked off, gates put up and 10,000 bulbs were planted. He even persuaded a graffiti artist to come in and teach teenagers the street art.
His efforts were such a success that the estate attracted visits from government representatives from China and Mexico as well as UK politicians including prime ministers Gordon Brown and David Cameron.
Chris is still extremely active on the estate, raising money to give vulnerable adults seaside trips, delivering warm packs to more than 100 residents this winter, leading weekly street clean sessions, and working alongside Age Concern on wellbeing visits.
Police officer Sherry Lee said: “I can remember chasing criminals through this estate. I walk around now and I can’t believe it’s the same place.”