On 3 July, the 2025 Community Wealth Building Summit landed in Manchester, bringing together hundreds of people passionate about building fairer, more sustainable local economies.
Hosted by CLES, the day was packed with practical ideas, from new toolkits for councils to inspiring sessions on food systems, wellbeing, and community-led business. Among the standout moments was a breakout session led by Birmingham’s Sarah Marlow (from our very own ROAM) and Nora Young (BREWS), two grassroots charity leaders working tirelessly to improve support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) in the city. They opened up an honest conversation about the challenges small charities face and helped spark ideas for real, community-driven solutions.
With powerful keynotes from Grace Blakeley and Carla Denyer MP, the Summit left everyone feeling energised, inspired, and ready to take action back home.
Over the last 6 months Sarah has been an active member of the SEND Seen Brum Huddle Group – out of this, the SEND Seen Economic Justice Manifesto has been created which is a a powerful call to action aiming to transform the SEND landscape in Birmingham for the better. Rooted in lived experience, collective insight, and a deep belief in equity, this work is about ensuring every child is seen, valued, and supported.
