The Urban Devotion Birmingham (UDB) story began in the summer of 2003. 8 young people and 1 family moved into Perry Common with a desire to serve local young people and see the community enriched with a sense of hope and purpose. This was a long term project built on the development of stable and positive relationships with local people and constructive partnerships with others who want to serve the community.

"Back in 2003 we were moving into our new home when I looked out of the window and saw a teenage lad 'casing' our car.  I called out to him: 'See anything you like?!' Rather than alienating him this was the start of getting to know him.  Over the next few years I was able to support him towards looking at what he wanted to do with his life and today he is a fully qualified plumber"
Sam Miller

From the very start prayer has been a vital part of the project with the team sharing a belief that God is capable of so much more than our best efforts and activities can achieve. 

 7 years on UDB has the same vision and values but this is now expressed in so many different ways.  On a weekly basis we connect with children, teenagers, young adults and families through a range of activities designed to serve their needs and help them be everything that they can be. Some of the people we work with are young offenders, others are out of work but our focus remains the same: we want to support them in thriving and realising their potential. 

As well as Perry Common we now have teams working on the Erdington Hall, Topcroft and Jarvis Road estates and are looking to build partnerships with local people and organisations to best meet the needs of these neighbourhoods.  Since 2003 our staff team has grown from 1 to 12 but we are not motivated by growing or having an impressive reputation - we just want to serve the process of transformation in individuals, families and communities.