The Housing Crisis and the Revolving Door: Why Innovation Demands Stability
In this article, Joanna Lee Mills (Affordable Housing Partner, Ward Hadaway LLP and Member of CNM’s Housing and Communities Leadership Board) examines Labour’s pledge to deliver the ‘biggest housing boom in a generation’ and the structural challenges that threaten its success. Joanna poses critical questions for policymakers: how can long-term homeownership solutions be delivered amid […]
How SMEs are the key to building the region’s next generation of creative talent
“If we want to unlock the full potential of the creative workforce, we need to meet these businesses where they are. That means building support systems – toolkits, partnerships, and simplified processes – that make it easy for SMEs to connect with young people without carrying the full burden themselves.” In this article, Alison Grade […]
The Recipe for Growth: How Sport and Infrastructure Are Rising in the Midlands
“The Sports Quarter development in Birmingham is a game-changing initiative – not just for Birmingham City FC, but for the entire West Midlands. While local football rivalries add colour to the conversation, there is a sense of excitement across the region on how billions of pounds of investment is set to transform transport, housing, and […]
The Promise and Peril of AI in Education: A West Midlands Perspective
In this article, Rich Bishop (Director, withdigital and Chair of CNM’s Digital Leadership Board) and Hammad Kamran (Head of AI, Kagool and Member of CNM’s Digital Leadership Board) explore the “two sides of the coin” – the ‘promise and the peril of using AI in education’ drawing on their experiences at withdigital and Kagool, along […]
Get Britain building immediately or risk a ‘perfect storm’
In this article, Mike Leonard (Visiting Professor, Centre for Future Homes at Birmingham City University, CEO of Building Alliance CIC and Member of CNM’s Housing and Communities Leadership Board) and Dr Steve McCabe (independent Economic Researcher) make the case for why the country needs to start building without any further delay and highlight some of […]
Embracing the AI Revolution: What is Happening in Reality Across the West Midlands
At our recent Connections for Prosperity conference which was held at Edgbaston Stadium on 17th July, Sarah Windrum (Head of Cluster Development, HORIBA MIRA and member of CNM’s Digital Leadership Board) chaired a session “Embracing the AI Revolution: What is Happening in Reality Across the West Midlands” If you were unable to make the session, here’s […]
Ethical Leadership and Sustainability begins with awareness, emotional intelligence and with the courage to ask: Where are we going?
In this article, John Rainford FRSA FTLS (Chief Imagination Officer at Learn with Leaders and Chief Innovation Officer for HHERF) provides some reflections on his recent participation in our Connections for Prosperity conference, held at Edgbaston Stadium on 17th July. (July 2025) Redefining Power: Ethical Leadership, Trust, and the Systems That Shape Us When I […]