The services we provide

• care services for children and older people
• training and employment opportunities for individuals
• development support for voluntary and community organisations
• money advice and debt counselling services for individuals
• building community cohesion

We run six charity shops which raise money across the city to support our programmes, particularly our work with children and older people.

What we aim to achieve

• to work in partnership to support the development of local voluntary and community sector organisations
• to deliver services that meet the needs of our users in a flexible and far-reaching way
• to ensure that our services are linked, with appropriate referrals made to provide maximum benefit
• to provide services for all sections of the community, from young to old, irrespective of ethnic origin or background
• to lobby and influence local, regional and national policy makers
• to balance public sector funding, earned and other income while enhancing our financial standing and securing long-term viability

Our roots

There was no one founder of the Settlement movement. It was the product of a groundswell of public opinion outraged by the plight of the poor, and led by progressive social reformers at the end of the nineteenth century.

The Birmingham Settlement was founded in 1899 at 318 Summer Lane. It was initially formed to provide support to women and families in the seriously deprived area of St Mary's, now known as Newtown. With accommodation for five residents, it became a centre for philanthropy, systematic training and study in social work and industrial conditions.

Despite many changes and alterations, the Birmingham Settlement remains close to its roots and the community it has served for the last hundred years.