A project run by Sähëlï Hub in Birmingham has been awarded £75,000 from HS2’s community funds, taking the total amount awarded to local projects around Washwood Heath to £225,000.
It is the third project in Washwood Heath to receive funding from HS2, with £75,000 already awarded to for the Dolphin Community Centre in Ward End Park, and another £75,000 to support an environmental project aimed at improving water quality in the Wash Brook.
Established in Birmingham in 1998, The Sähëlï Hub was originally set up as a ‘women-only’ facility to provide health and wellbeing activities, taking into account the culturally sensitive needs of local Muslim women. Since 2010, Sähëlï Hub has been running sessions for residents in Washwood Heath. Operating from three 'hubs' across Calthorpe Park in Balsall Heath, Handsworth and Alum Rock, the project's activities already benefit over 1,500 women every year.
Sähëlï Hub’s latest project, funded through the £75,000 grant from HS2, aims to encourage community members, particularly men, to get involved in group-based sports activities including cycling and tennis in and around Washwood Heath.
During a tour of Ward End Park to see HS2’s community funding in action, Liam Byrne, Labour MP for Hodge Hill said:
“‘Our amazing community groups have now secured nearly a quarter of a million pounds of HS2 support in Washwood Heath alone. It’s all part of our plan to make sure HS2’s arrival transforms East Birmingham with the biggest investment programme for decades. This is one more vital step along the way!’”
Councillor John Cotton, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said:
"Even before the Washwood Heath Depot is built and open for business, the area is reaping the rewards of HS2 and this grant to the Sähëlï Hub is the latest community boost. Sähëlï Hub’s activities have already benefitted hundreds of people and the new project will further tackle health inequalities in East Birmingham."
Luke Nipen, Head of Community Engagement for HS2, said:
“Once operational, the Washwood Heath development will be an amazing local asset, providing over 550 high quality jobs for local people. While we build the Depot, it’s important for us to support the communities nearby, so direct funding to community-led projects like Sähëlï Hub can ensure local residents feel supported throughout the construction period of HS2.”
The HS2 Community and Environment Fund (CEF) provides funding to communities along the HS2 route for organisations disrupted by the construction of the new high speed railway.
HS2 is currently preparing for the construction of the Washwood Heath Depot, north-east of Birmingham city centre, which is where HS2 trains will be maintained, serviced and stored when not in use. Once operational, the Depot will provide over 550 high quality, long-term jobs for local people.
In February 2023, HS2 was granted Schedule 17 approval by Birmingham City Council for the Washwood Heath Depot, which includes a Maintenance Building, Network Integrated Control Centre (NICC) and Cleaners and Drivers Building.
Work on the Washwood Heath site to date includes demolition of buildings and groundworks to prepare the site for the construction of the new facility.
HS2’s funding schemes will provide up to £40m throughout the construction timeline of HS2, supporting community-led projects that improve the environment, such as tree planting and energy efficiency measures.
