From Challenge to Change: Understanding the Impact of Section 114 and Building Towards the City Vision, Together

In September 2023 Birmingham City Council issued a Section 114 (S114) notice, signalling an inability to meet its financial obligations. This triggered over £300 million in budget cuts with major consequences for statutory services, community infrastructure, and civic trust.

In response, BVSC Research and the University of Wolverhampton, funded by the Fusion21 Foundation and supported by Birmingham City Council, undertook research to examine the impact of the crisis, with a specific focus on the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector and Birmingham’s most affected communities. 

The research findings have been brought together in a report, ‘From Challenge to Change: Understanding the Impact of Section 114 and Building Towards the City Vision, Together’, which provides high-level insights. 

The report also offers a path forward, highlighting how Birmingham’s City Vision 2035 and its five strategic missions can be more effectively delivered. It calls on City leaders, from all sectors across the City, to commit to a shared, values-led transformation rooted in transparency, collaboration, and collective accountability.