Paradise Circus

We’re heading towards our next Central Birmingham Social Media Surgery, which will be on Tuesday May 11, 2010 at the studio, 7 Cannon Street, which is just off New Street in central Birmingham.

If you belong to a Birmingham-based community or neighbourhood group or charity please come and join us. You can drop in any time between 5.30pm and 7pm. All local charities and voluntary organisations are invited.

To find out more about the event and to sign up please follow the link here.

Ooops. I’ve just spotted that the March Central Birmingham Social Media Surgery is going to clash with the March Birmingham Bloggers’ meet. They are both on March 9. Apologies for the clash. As plenty of people will know the surgeries are the result of the Birmingham Bloggers – and a good number of the surgeons are involved in both events – so we try to make sure that they don’t clash.

However, it isn’t the end of the world. While the surgeries start at 5.30pm and the Birmingham Bloggers’ meet up is at 6pm, they’ll be pretty close to each other (see the map) so if people want to pop down to the surgery first – at thestudio, in Cannon Street, off New Street – then it shouldn’t be too difficult to get yourself down to the Birmingham Bloggers meet at The Solomon Cutler, Broad Street – Birmingham, UK, B1 2DS. And the social media surgeries are a kind of ‘drop in when you want’ affair, so there’s no pressure to turn up and leave on the dot.
View Birmingham Bloggers and Social Media Surgery in a larger map

You may have seen the new Birmingham City Council site, judging by comments I’d say most of you don’t think it lives up to its potential. But — could a group of volunteers do better?

What does a council site need, can it be scraped together and built in a better way for free?

I’m not volunteering to code, but thought it was worth discussing — so why not pop over to the BCCDIY wiki and see what occurs…

It’s almost a year since the first Birmingham Social Media surgery began to help voluntary and community groups in Birmingham make the most of social media and the web.

Now it’s back to school and time to lock in after the lazy summer, and the first central surgery of the new season will be on Wednesday, September 23 at the Fazeley Studios, Digbeth.

The Fazeley Studios are on 191 Fazeley Street, Digbeth, Birmingham B5 6DR (link to map), opposite The Bond. Push the large light blue doors with the silver door knob.

So if you belong to a Birmingham based community or neighbourhood group or charity please come and join us, you can drop in any time between 5.30pm and 7pm.

To sign up head over to the BeVocal site to find more information about locally-based surgeries.

Want to know more about Social Media Surgeries and what to expect? You can find out more information about what goes on at a surgery and how it can benefit you here.

If you cannot make September’s surgery why not book the next two surgeries into your diary. They will be held on Thursday 15 October at 5.30pm – 7pm and on Friday 20 November at 5.30pm – 7pm. Both surgeries are Central Birmingham surgeries, which are held at the Fazeley Studios.

No agenda, other than to have fun, have interesting conversation with interesting people. We’re not that fussed if you “blog”, or “twitter” or anything, it’s just nice to hang out with people that you don’t have to explain “the Internet’ to once in a while.

Please come along and meet people “off of the web”, feel free to bring some new people- we’re not a clique, bring some money for your drinks — there’s no agenda, no sponsors and nothing except friendly chat. (And some of the nicest loos in Birmingham)

Time: from 6pm till chucking out time.

For more information about Bluu Bar go here. (Be sure to click on Birmingham, wouldn’t want you ending up somewhere else completely). EDIT: bluu is closed. We’re In après next door.

One for Ben to chalk up for failcamp

Map to the venue.

Nine months on from the very first Birmingham Social Media Surgery and Fazeley Studios hosts another session of free help and advice for Birmingham based voluntary and community groups wanting to get to grips with social media.

When & Where

Next Surgery: Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 drop in anytime between 5.30pm to 7.00pm at Fazeley Studios, 191 Fazeley Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, B5 6DR, link to map. (not BVSC) It’s opposite the Bond and a go kart track. Push the large pale blue door with the silver door knob.

To sign up please go here.

What are they all about?

Volunteers from the Birmingham bloggers group are offering to show voluntary and community groups in the city how you can make best use of social media. It doesn’t matter if you are the head of communications at a major charity or an active citizen in your neighbourhood, if you’re at all curious come along.

More about what has gone on over the past nine months and what you can expect at a surgery here.

By the way the surgeries have been nominated (by me I hasten to add!)  for the Digital Press Awards People’s Choice along with brilliant local activity like Rhubarb Radio and the Big City Talk site.

In the mean time, if you want to come along or know someone that could use the free help get them to sign up here so we have an idea of numbers.

No agenda, no fixed time (turn up and leave when you like on “Thursday Evening”, people tend to start arriving from about 6 – those that get there straight after work — but people arrive and leave all night until closing.

We’re not that fussed if you “blog”, or “twitter” or anything, it’s just nice to hang out with people that you don’t have to explain “the Internet’ to once in a while.

Please come along and meet people “off of the web”, bring some money for your drinks — there’s no agenda, no sponsors and nothing except friendly chat.

Time: from 6pm to chucking out time

Date: Thursday 11th June (see here for how we work out when bloggers’ meet-ups are)

The Flapper on Pub Explorer

Upcoming.org Event

View Larger Map

Next Surgery: Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 drop in anytime between 5.30pm to 7.00pm at Fazeley Studios, 191 Fazeley Street, Digbeth, Birmingham, B5 6DR,  link to map. (not BVSC) It’s opposite the bond and a go kart track. Push the large pale blue door with the silver door knob.

>>> Sign up now so we know who to expect >>>

Lots to learn, little to lose. We promise you friendly advice.

These surgeries are organised by volunteer members of the informal Birmingham Bloggers group.  Non of them are getting paid to provide the help.

What happens at these surgeries?

Volunteers from the Birmingham bloggers group are offering to show voluntary and community groups in the city how you can make best use of social media. It doesn’t matter if you are the head of communications at a major charity or an active citizen in your neighbourhood, if you’re at all curious come along.

No boring speeches, no jargon.

Tools like blogs, podcasts, video and social networks can give a real boost to campaigning organisations, often for no or little cost. So these experts are offering you approachable one to one help and support because they believe it can help. You may just want to see what is possible and go away and think about it. You might be itching to set up a blog and start using it.

Perhaps you think video might help you tell your story but don’t know where to start? All is possible. There’ll be no lectures, just people with knowledge, ideas and a passion to help you make best use of the internet for your organisation.

Who are they for?

Charities based in Birmingham plus community and neighbourhood groups in the city.

Come to the pub on Tuesday 14th April, come anytime from 6pm and leave whenever you want to, or when the landlord kindly asks you to.

Bring good humour, Ben has promised cake.

(see here for how we work out when bloggers’ meet-ups are)

Upcoming event (Upcoming Group)

Map

Facebook (Facebook Group)

Beer in the Evening page for the Old Contemptibles

Come to the pub on Tuesday 14th April, come anytime from 6pm and leave whenever you want to, or when the landlord kindly asks you to.

Bring good humour, Ben has promised cake.

EDIT – venue change – see reasons below – new details here.