YMCA Heart of England at Reimagining the Region: A Focus on Young People, Housing, and Birmingham’s Future

YMCA – Heart of England was proud to attend the Reimagining the Region Autumn Reception on September 25th, hosted at Kagool’s Birmingham offices. The event brought together local leaders, businesses, and charities to discuss the city’s future and the opportunities—and challenges—that lie ahead.

Inspiring Hosts and Guests

The evening was steered by Phil Upton, BBC broadcaster, who moderated an open conversation with Councillor John Cotton, Leader of Birmingham City Council. Special thanks are also due to Chris Smith, CEO of the Centre for the New Midlands, for introducing the session, and to Dan Barlow, CEO of Kagool, for hosting us at Kagool’s offices.

We were also inspired by Gary Wills, CEO of Talent Today, who opened the evening. Gary is preparing to run in Tokyo to raise money for Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, a reminder of the vital role individuals and communities play in championing local causes.

Birmingham’s City Vision 2035

Councillor Cotton shared Birmingham’s City Vision for 2035, underlining his belief that “Birmingham’s time is absolutely now.” The vision paints a picture of a more inclusive, sustainable, and opportunity-rich city—one that is greener, fairer, better connected, and globally significant.

Highlights from Cotton’s remarks included:

• Major businesses continue to relocate and invest in Birmingham.
• The skyline is rapidly transforming, reflecting growth and ambition.
• The city will soon host the government’s first Investment Summit outside London.

Yet, Cotton was equally candid about challenges that remain: life expectancy gaps between the richest and poorest areas, persistent child poverty, and unemployment. For him, these represent untapped potential that must be unlocked.

Housing, Regeneration, and Recovery

Particularly relevant to our work with young people in the Birmingham Area was the discussion around Birmingham’s ambitious housing goals. Cotton highlighted the pressing need for affordable, quality homes, noting a target of 1,093 affordable homes each year—with progress of 1,091 delivered this year. This is essential to address the current housing crisis.

Consultations are also underway for a new regeneration project, which aims to reshape communities, improve living standards, and ensure that housing developments balance investment with affordability.

Recovery Through Partnerships

Acknowledging the difficult period that Birmingham City Council has faced, Cotton reflected: “I have the best and worst job in the world—sometimes on the same day.” Despite challenges, he believes huge progress has been made in the past two years and that the city is firmly on the road to recovery.

He emphasised that recovery will only come through partnerships:

• Starting from humility, asking residents, charities, and businesses what the city should look like.
• Delivering modern, sustainable public services.
• Creating opportunities for those too often “left behind.”

Young People at the Centre

Audience questions underscored how critical it is to invest in Birmingham’s youth. Cotton stressed the importance of championing successes, recognising Birmingham as the youngest city in Europe, and ensuring opportunities are accessible. On education, he noted the need to tackle progression gaps from Level 2 to Level 3 qualifications—even with five universities in the city—through co-designed solutions.

The Role of the Voluntary Sector

A particularly meaningful moment for us came when our CEO, Pauline Tomlinson, asked how the council intends to engage with voluntary organisations who hear the struggles of young people every day, and how best practices can be built upon. Councillor Cotton responded with clear recognition of the sector’s value, describing himself as “very passionate about the voluntary sector” and emphasising that the work of these organisations has a “massive impact” on Birmingham’s communities. He pointed to the council’s £5 million response to the cost-of-living crisis as an example, where voluntary organisations were directly consulted to guide how funds should be used. Cotton stressed the need for a mindset shift—towards partnership approaches and championing what already works—so that the collective wisdom of charities, communities, and the council together can help deliver the city’s vision.

A Call to Action

Cotton left guests with three actions everyone can take:

1. Talk this place up—be bold about Birmingham’s strengths.
2. Review the City Vision document to see how you can contribute.
3. Work in partnership to deliver change.

For us, as a charity supporting young people in housing need and those who have faced homelessness, these discussions resonated deeply. The focus on affordable housing, community regeneration, and youth opportunities align with our mission. We know first-hand how vital stable housing and meaningful support are in helping young people build brighter futures.

As Cotton concluded: “All of us, in collaboration, can do something about it and deliver social justice.”

From our perspective as part of the voluntary sector, we share this hope. We welcome the council’s ambitions and vision, but we know that the real test will be in turning good words into meaningful action. Our wish is that these commitments translate into lasting change for the young people and communities we work with every day. We stand ready to play our part, renewing our commitment to collaborate with the council and partners so that together we can make Birmingham a fairer, more inclusive, and opportunity-rich city for all.