Sir Lenny Henry has launched a new networking group for Birmingham City University graduates in London.
The BCU in London group will feature a blend of senior leaders and up and coming professionals with interests in the capital.
Sir Lenny, Chancellor of the university, told 100 guests and alumni at the launch: “We want this to form the basis of a strong and enduring network, where graduates and friends of the university can come together to forge professional links that recognise what you have in common and the expertise you have in your various disciplines.”
The launch was attended by Ladywood MP Shabana Mahmoud, Lord Bruce Grocott, the Rt Hon Baroness Elizabeth Butler-Sloss and former Edgbaston MP Gisela Stuart.
Sir Lenny said the event showed how Birmingham’s influence was extending across the country.
“Birmingham City University has transformed the Eastside region of the city,” he said. “Its new Conservatoire, about to open in September on the City Centre Campus – the first in a generation for the UK, and its City South campus in Edgbaston, with fantastic new sports and health science facilities, is also set to open before the end of the year.
“Add to that the wider changes that have literally transformed the city over the past decade and its small wonder we want to shout about it.
“In fact, one of the reasons we wanted to hold this University event here in the capital is to show London that despite what’s happening in the West Midlands at the moment we don’t necessarily think the world revolves around Birmingham – some cool things come out of London too.”
I was a Postgraduate student at the Old Birmingham Polytechnic on the Graduate Gateway Programme in the late 1980’s at Perry Barr and the transformation of the Digbeth (Eastside) area of the city with the expansion of Birmingham City University has changed Birmingham City Centre for the better with more students and young people living and socializing in this formerly run down part of Birmingham…..with the advent of HS2 and the Curzon Gateway development this area of Birmingham’s city centre will become more important and move the axis of the city centre from the Bullring eastwards towards Digbeth and the important digital and high tech companies based at and around the Custard Factory, an increasingly important area of Birmingham
Agree about the revamp of this part of Birmingham, but the council need to ensure the infrastructure around it gets a fix too. The roads and islands near the BCU campus at Eastside are gridlocked during morning and evening commutes. They removed the inner concrete collar a few years ago near the law courts…they should now think about doing the same with this outer concrete collar off the Expressway.