The Southside BID warden team cleaning graffiti from a local tenant’s shutters

With the impact of the global spread of coronavirus severely impacting Birmingham city centre and its businesses, Southside BID manager, Julia Robinson, has issued a warning regarding the rise of anti-social behaviour.

Julia says: “As a BID team we are working closely with both our businesses and residents to support them as much as possible during this challenging time. Unfortunately we are seeing a rise in anti-social behaviour in the district, with a marked increase in graffiti appearing and, as the city gets quieter, an increase in petty crime and groups of people seeking to intimidate those walking through the area.

“This behaviour is the last thing that struggling businesses and concerned residents need. We need everyone to think of the bigger picture to support the district and the city as a whole, as we navigate our way through this difficult and unpredictable situation.

“As a team, the Southside wardens continue to walk the area and are making a really positive impact on the community. They are regularly visiting the apartment blocks in Southside, letting any vulnerable residents know that we are available to collect essentials and run errands on their behalf, plus the whole district has been deep-cleaned. We also have rough sleepers in the area, so we’ve been keeping them updated with the latest news, helping them to stay informed of the latest guidance. 

“We feel that the best thing we can do is to keep communicating with everyone who lives and works in Southside to ensure that we are all looking out for each other. Many of our tenants are restaurants, bars and entertainment venues and are being severely impacted, so we have been meeting with as many as possible to go through the latest government advice and support for businesses, handing out information leaflets and offering support where possible. 

“Even while faced with such challenges, there have been some positive moments too. The wardens found a stray kitten who was really struggling out in the cold last week, so they chose to adopt him and ‘Mojave’ has been bringing lots of cheer to the team ever since. 

“It’s important that we are vigilant against any anti-social behaviour to protect the amazing community that is so integral to Southside, particularly through these unprecedented times. So please, stay safe, follow the official government guidance and give all the support you can across the communities of Birmingham to ensure that we are able to fight back and survive.”