Be there Saturday, October 10th 11-4pm as we celebrate a huge milestone: five fantastic years of Second Saturday at The Old Print Works! Alongside all the usual Second Saturday favorites, we’ll be hosting the fabulous Balsall Heath in Changing Times Exhibition, and at every Second Saturday in 2026 – more dates to be confirmed!
The exhibition is inspired by the photography of Mick Turner, and on Saturday we’ll be putting a special spotlight on our local heroes. Who comes to mind when you think of someone who makes Balsall Heath special? Is it a neighbour who always lends a hand, a local campaigner, a community leader, or an unsung champion. We want to hear their stories!
Where to Find Us
Drop by the Director’s Office at The Old Print Works to:
Explore the exhibition: Take in the history, photographs, and stories of Balsall Heath through changing times.
Share your ‘Heathan Hero’: Tell us about the local heroes who inspire you and help us celebrate the people who make our community thrive.
Whether you’ve been coming to Second Saturday since day one or you’ve never visited before, pop in, say hello, and help us celebrate five wonderful years together. See you on Saturday!
BHLHS at Second Saturday
Here’s a few snaps of us over the last year enjoying Second Saturday!
December 2025 launch of ‘Believe in Balsall Heath at Second SaturdayMapping our past at Second Saturday March 2026November 2025 bunting for Second saturdayRelaunch of Heathan at Second Saturday April 2026Nov 2025 Art Workshop upstairs for Second saturdayHistory Society in the Courtyard May 2026 Second SaturdayRelaunch of Heathan at Second Saturday April 2026December 2025 launch of ‘Believe in Balsall Heath at Second SaturdayPlanning the Community Festival at Second Saturday June 2026Eunice McGhie-Belgrave with planters for Balsall Heath July 2026 Second SaturdayAlfredo helps make masks with the Local History Society July 2026 Second SaturdayMuhmood sketching Balsall Heath with BHLHS September 2026 Second Saturday‘Believe in Balsall Heath’ official party for banners, September 2026 Second SaturdayFinding yourself in the exhibition Second Saturday Sept 2026Bunting for second saturday!
More dates for Balsall Heath in Changing Times
Our exhibition, Balsall Heath in Changing Times will be at October, November and December Second Saturdays and we are in negotiation with more locations and dates in early 2027 – keep watching this space for more details!
Over ten days of Birmingham Heritage Week over 300 People visited and participated in our events, activities as part of ‘Balsall Heath in Changing Times‘ local tour.
Featuring the photographic archive of Mick Turner, community oral histories, poetry, art, and history trails exploring Balsall Heath through the eyes of those who live it. For our final event we were joined by Mick Turner himself and Liz Berry, who read her ‘Psalm’ to the Women of Balsall Heath. Actor and local film maker Haqi Ali also premiered his film about Community Theatre, recalling the days when he began as an actor, through interviews conducted during the last year.
Balsall Heath’s story is one of dramatic transformation and social change. Within living memory, we’ve seen bomb sites used as playgrounds well into the 1970s, mass demolition and redevelopment, and the arrival of different communities that reshaped our streets.
Touring Exhibition & Venue Highlights
Every event was unique, with workshops, guided trails, and activities. Angela Blackwood led a guided heritage tour of SS John and Martin Catholic Church while Val Hart led tours of Moseley Road, where this year we installed history panels. Muhmood Tahir led a landscape sketching workshop and we have collated poetry in addition to the fabulous photos and stories, adding to our heritage, better representing our lived experience.
The events were part of Birmingham Heritage Week, as well as National Heritage Open Days (Everyday Lives theme). We were proud to represent the stories of Balsall Heath to local as well as a wider national audience.
Changing Times in Photos
Mick Turner receives award from Patrick BairdFinding yourself in the exhibitionLiz Berry talks to people in the audienceMick, Christine and Pat at the Venture Hall ExhibitionBalsall Heath in Changing Times at Creation Climbing Centre (old Tram Depot)Val leads a Moseley Road History Tour for ‘Balsall Heath in Changing Times’Angela explains the story of the stained glass in Ss John and MartinExhibition inspires more poetry – poems shared at B12 Hall Catholic Church15 Display panels of ‘Balsall Heath in Changing Times’ at B12 Hall, Ss John and Martin ChurchMick Turner at his exhibitionBalsall Heath in Changing Times exhibition launched at The Old Print Works‘Balsall Heath in Changing Times’ at the Old Print WorksLaunch of Birmingham Heritage Week at the Assay OfficesVenture Hall full for Liz Berry ‘Balsall Heath in Changing Times’
Work continues…
There is still some work building on our online resources and a couple of people we’re still keen to interview. Our History Panels have been hugely popular and we are looking to create more to build our history trail across Balsall Heath.
We need your stories!
Do you have a story to contribute, or maybe a location you think we should honour with a history panel, and add to our hostiry trail? Balsall Heath doesn’t stand still and we will keep working to find those untold stories and well as celebrate our ever changing Balsall Heath!
For Birmingham Heritage Week we’re thrilled to confirm a multi-venue touring FREE exhibition, ‘In Changing Times‘ by Balsall Heath Local History Society. Featuring the photographic archive of Mick Turner, community oral histories, poetry, art, and history trails exploring Balsall Heath through the eyes of those who live it.
Balsall Heath’s story is one of dramatic transformation and social change. Within living memory, we’ve seen bomb sites used as playgrounds well into the 1970s, mass demolition and redevelopment, and the arrival of different communities that reshaped our streets.
Touring Exhibition & Venue Highlights
Six local hubs across Balsall Heath will host unique events, workshops, guided trails, and activities:
SS. John & Martin Catholic Church. Guided heritage tour exploring the building’s architectural and community legacy.
The Old Print Works & Creation Climbing Centre. Pop-up archival displays, film and art.
St. Paul’s Venture, special event (September 20th). An intimate afternoon with acclaimed poet Liz Berry, featuring poetry readings, film screenings, and shared local memories.
Local artist Muhmood Tahir, inspired by archive images and Mick Turner’s photography painted his Balsall Heath. Meet the artist, sketch and paint alongside him – bring your contemporary visual perspective on our Balsall Heath – all free, including materials, at Second Saturday, 12th September.
Mick Turner Archive of photographic images is a vast collection of images, thousands of which were published in the Balsall Heathan from 1960 to 1990. We used these images as a starting point to understand Balsall Heath through the eyes of people who have lived there.
Join our Trail or make your own!
The best way to see Balsall Heath is to be there! Join our FREE history tours during Heritage Week on 12th, 15th and 18th September – book on eventbrite.
Explore Balsall Heath for yourself and find our nine history panels across Balsall Heath, discover local stories where you stand, or map out your own self-guided Heritage Trail:
Union Flag leads the Carnival Procession 1979Fireman checks out History Interpretation PanelHywell waters the sunflowers by our new history panel, Seven Streets ParkKnights in armour at the CarnivalWaiting for the CarnivalA Float in 1977 CarnivalWaiting for the CarnivalSpotting HRH Duke of Edinburgh driving pastDick Atkinson and MP Roy Hattersley check out the HeathanCharlie, AKA Steve Ball Clowning aroundDragon TandemHallam Drapers opensAnother Royal Wedding 1981VW Van on Clifton RoadFolk singer at the CarnivalClowns at the Carnival
For our Heritage Week Grand Finale, joining us with Liz Berry for poetry, film created by Haqi Ali, as well as our fantastic exhibition:
POSTPONED due to hot weather! We had intended to invite everyone to join us at St. Paul’s Venture Hall for an intimate event dedicated to the living history, stories and memories of Balsall Heath (we’ll confirm a new date soon!)
A live performance by Liz Berry, award winning poet, of her new poem
An interveiw with Liz Berry
A showing of film clips of Balsall heath from the 1960s to 1980s assembled by The Media Archive of Central England
Display of Balsall Heath Carnival from 1977 onwards
Liz’s work has been described by The Guardian as a “sooty soaring hymn to her native West Midlands.” An award-winning poet and author of the critically acclaimed collections Black Country (Chatto, 2014); The Republic of Motherhood (Chatto, 2018); The Dereliction (Hercules Editions, 2021) a collaboration with artist Tom Hicks; and most recently The Home Child (Chatto, 2023), a novel in verse.
Liz shares a deep, personal connection with Balsall Heath. Published in May 2026 and featured in the Times Literary Supplement, her new poem “Psalm” is a deeply evocative, secular hymn that celebrates community, resilience, and womanhood. True to her remarkable ability to transfigure working-class landscapes into something sacred, “Psalm” anchors itself right here in Balsall Heath.
Following the reading, Liz will join us for a brief interview to discuss the inspiration behind the poem and her lifelong project of mapping the emotional geography of the West Midlands.
Film Clips & Archives: An Earlier Balsall Heath
Step back in time with us as we screen a selection of rare film clips capturing Balsall Heath from decades past. It’s a wonderful opportunity to see how our streets used to look, spot familiar corners, compare and contract Balsall Heath past and present.
Balsall Heath Carnival
Do you remember the floats, the music, and the crowds of the classic Balsall Heath Carnivals? We will have special archive displays set up around the hall dedicated to the history of the Carnival. Come browse the photographs, share your own memories, and celebrate the enduring joy of our community coming together.
Event Details:
What: Memories of Balsall Heath (A Balsall Heath Community Festival Special Event)
When: To be Confirmed
Where: St. Paul’s Venture Hall, Balsall Heath
Featuring: A live reading and interview with Liz Berry, local heritage film screenings, and historical Carnival displays.
Whether you have lived in Balsall Heath your entire life or are new to the area, this evening is a celebration of your history. Let’s celebrate the extraordinary story of the place we call home.
It was 1958 when Santokh Singh left the family home in the Punjab of Northern India, to join his uncle living in Alexandra Road, Balsall Heath. A 22-year-old metal working Lathe turner, his mother’s brother had been in Birmingham since 1952 and encouraged Santokh to come to Britain.
Woolworth’s shop before Uncle’s moved in, 1950s
Quest for a Better life
He began his quest for ‘a better life’ with a job as a Brake Fitter at Snow Hill station. Santokh wanted a business of his own, and began travelling to East London to buy from spice merchants, Indian food wholesalers, and from the vegetable market in Spitalfields. He travelled back to Birmingham with Asian spices, Okra (Ladies Fingers), Aubergine (Egg Plant), Black Bean, various Lentils, and large amounts of Garlic. He loaded his bicycle with exotic food and delivered directly to his customers door. This was done while he was still working at Snow Hill.
Santokh’s wife, Harbans Kaur, joined him in 1961, she is the lady in a Janet Mendelsohn‘s photograph of the shop (1968), with Daughter, Manjinder, at the entrance to Victoria Place. The family lived above the shop. Three of his brothers joined the venture for a new life in Birmingham in 1966, and it was this that led to the shop name. Customers would refer to Santokh and his brothers as ‘Uncle’. And the shop as ‘Uncles` . This reflected the friendly interrelationship the Singh` family had with their customers and beyond that, the community. And so ‘UNCLE’s’ name was established.
Uncle’s supermarket in the 1970s
Uncle’s Family business
Santokh and Harbans had a family of seven children. The youngest, Surinder remembers his childhood as a mix of work and play. After school they would play active roles in the shop. Pricing goods, sweeping and mopping the shop floor, restocking shelves etc. Surinder recalls playing at the back of the Highgate Road shop:
‘The layout was as back to back housing. There were bomb buildings (or ‘bomb-pecks’ we would call them) to play on. We played tag, hopscotch, marbles, throwing two pence coins against the wall. We would make play swords from thin balsa wood strips, taken from tomato crates, the handles would be taped together. We made go-karts from milk crates, planks of wood, axel and wheels from an old pram, and rope attached for steering.’
Surinder Singh
Uncle’s in 2017
Uncle’s, famous for being the original supplier of the iconic pressed-steel Birmingham Balti dishes, shut down after an impressive 60-year run when owner Surinder Singh retired. Blogpost from ‘Journey’ project, Balsall Heath Local History Society.
Left to Right in order of age (youngest first), Manjinder, Harjinder, Harbhajan, Jaswinder, Santokh , then sons (oldest first), Tervinder, Satnam, and Surinder.
When we loaned Mick Turner photos to Local Artist Muhmood Tahir we knew we could expect something special, and last week he came back into the office to deliver some fabulous artwork!
Muhmood has worked in drawing, painting and sculpture for most of his life – see Birmingham Open Studios. I had the opportunity to talk to Muhmood about his artwork, and this particular special artwork for Balsall Heath. We started to talk about why Balsall Heath was so important to him:
‘When I see that sign, I’m home. Yeah, that’s my hometown.’
Muhmood Tahir
‘I’ve painted what I feel about the place. They both say something about how I feel about Balsall Heath.’
First he talked about the painting with the iconic Moseley Road Baths:
‘The building I’m so very familiar with, you feel as if it’s always been there. All kinds of things [are in the foreground]. Things that have been thrown away, but people are using them. All kinds of things, records, stop sign…all things from the past, and even the car is old. They’re gathering things, the kids of Balsall Heath.’
He talked about his approach to painting:
‘That’s the picture I felt. And that’s when I was doing that and I was feeling that I was trying to make the figures come to life with the expression. Each figure has a movement and I keep that going all through the picture, to keep that balance. These colours, you know, they’re sharp but they lightly done so like a distance, and moving. They’re not sharp but they they’re there.’
‘They’re drawings. They’re done with a pen. You look carefully. Pens on canvas, it can be very sensitive. A touch of paint, with acrylics, on top of it, just to give that illusion. It just needs movement of line, so I kept it, in a drawing sense, you know, not a painting. So, the moment I start adding paint, the whole volume would change.’
The second painting has elements of houses Muhmood has lived in. I asked him about the dates:
‘These are important dates – this is the time I was at school. I didn’t go too far ahead [with the dates]’
‘It’s just a street I remember, as growing up because don’t forget, with me, these streets have a personal feeling. I like the composition of people coming through. It may be something that moves you, simply beautiful things right? In the chaos it has a beauty around it. It may only be a small thing, but it moves you.’
‘I’ve become more refrained and stayed in my studio at home painting, because that keeps me alive as a human being.’
Muhmood Tahir
We asked Muhmood where he would like his paintings to be: ‘Somewhere people can see it, somewhere they can relate to it.’ The obvious place for artwork of this quality and subject matter we feel is our Balsall Heath Library, now closed for refurbishment. We plan to talk to the Library Services to see what is possible on it’s reopening next year.
On Saturday 11th April 11 to 3pm we’ll be hosting a special free event at ‘The Mix Cafe’, Old Print Works, to launch The Heathan online! Food is provided by Change Kitchen and we will be part of Second Saturday activities happening all day there.
The first Heathan Zine
Saturday marks a new chapter for one of Birmingham’s most loved zines. Dedicated to providing authentic, community-led journalism, the site returns as the definitive online source for news, culture, and local voices within Balsall Heath. The Heathan will put the focus back where it belongs: on the Heath and the Heathans.
Muhmood Tahir has also drawn us two beautiful paintings we’ll be unveiling as part of the day – about Balsall Heath and inspired by Mick Turner’s photography, the man responsible for much of the photography in early Heathans.
And that’s where we’re starting too – come along, have your say, have your photo taken to become a part of it! We’ll also have copies of old Heathans to flick through and a quick demo of the iconic ‘Cow Gum’ method we used to use for ‘paste up’ before digital design was a thing. Cow gum itself was, of course, highly flammable, gave off strong fumes and is no longer available.
By the Community, For the Community
‘Balsall Heath is like nowhere else’
Anon
Balsall Heath needs a voice more than ever in changing times. As development plans are reviewed residents want to be kept informed on council decisions and have a means to have their voices heard.
Led by an Alliance of Balsall Heath organisations and ‘Believe in Balsall Heath’, We’ll celebrate the rich history of Balsall Heath and its diverse communities. We’ll put the spotlight on local legends, artists, community heroes and all people in Balsall Heath. We’ll develop our own curated guide to the best independent shops and services in the area.
We’re also listening to what you want. Balsall Heath misses it’s Carnival – we’re working with local partners to bring a Community Festival from 3rd July to 13th July – watch this space for more details!
Carnival Heathan
Bridging the Gap
The relaunch comes at a vital time for Balsall Heath. The Heathan will link long-standing residents and newcomers – everyone is welcome here, sharing belonging. The Heathan will feature dedicated community contributions, inviting Heathans to submit their own stories, photos, and event listings.
Feeding the world
The Heathan can lay claim to the first known written use of the term ‘Balti’. A classic ‘Glocal’ fusion dish, made to please people from all communities in Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath in the 1970s, it has since become a national dish and many are calling for UNESCO protected status as an internationally significant cultural dish.
The Heathan is for Balsall Heath and Balsall Heathans. We want to be seen, heard and connected.’
Marcus Belben, co-editor
First known use of ‘Balti’ in print, The Heathan 1981
About The Heathan
Originally established to capture the grassroots energy of the district, The Heathan was formerly printed and delivered to everyone in Balsall heath. It will remain independent but will now be an online news publication. It operates on the belief that local journalism is the bedrock of a strong community.
The online Balsall Heathan was originally created by Dr. Anita Halliday, former CEO of St Pauls Trust, initially named ‘Neighbourhood News Online’. The original neighbourhood magazine ‘The Balsall Heathan’ was published monthly and circulated to every home in Balsall Heath.
Since Anita’s death it is currently maintained on a voluntary basis by local people and organisations.
‘…from sparsely populated heathland in the 18th century, to the ‘genteel neighbourhood’ of the 1840s, the populous quarter of 1891, to the busy and crowded suburb of the 1920s and 30s to Balsall Heath present day, there is no place like it.’
Val Hart Local Historian
The Heathan in modern times
2026 to today!
We’ve been working with Balsall Heath Alliance and Believe in Balsall Heath and a team of local Heathans to share news and represent our stories our way! Building on the work of the Neighbourhood News Team and Balsall Heathans we’re relaunching the Heathan online!
March 2020 to March 2022
Neighbourhood News Online responded to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown by creation of an information page to support local residents and the Balsall Heath Mutual Aid group. This page was used to signpost people to essential services and support and also gave clear, relevant information from trusted sources, including the NHS, Public Health England and Birmingham City Council.
October 2019 – March 2020
A commission from Ageing Better in Sparkbrook involved Rachel Gillies and Elisabeth Charis worked with a range of local community organisations to support them in promoting their activities for the elders they serve. 10 organisations received tailored support with developing their promotional work. This included developing websites, a series of short films and support with using Social Media through a range of Social Media surgeries.
April – July 2019
The Active Wellbeing Society supported a series of community media workshops with residents across Balsall Heath and Sparkbrook. Their interest in storytelling to connect people led to the development of ‘Humans of the Heath’ – a series of profiles of local people.
October 2018 – April 2019 Neighbourhood News Online was part of a commission from Balsall Heath Forum as part of a Local Innovation Fund grant, which came to an end in April 2019. The website was developed into a community news, directory and events page for Balsall Heath and Sparkbrook by freelancers, Rachel Gillies, Elisabeth Charis and Hayley Frances. We have a passion for this area and wanted to use our skills and experience living and working here to connect residents and organisations together. This grant also funded the production of two print newsletters, delivered to residents and community venues.
Heathan printed and distributed across Balsall Heath from 1973 to 2018
As part of the upcoming Balsall Heath Community Festival (July 3rd – 13th), we’ve created a new map with help from Chris Martin from Footsteps Faiths for a Low CarbonFuture.
Today, we count an existing 62 faith centres within Balsall Heath – that’s one faith centre per 600 Heathans. To celebrate this heritage, we’re planning a guided Faith Walk to explore these landmarks and discuss the profound impact they’ve had on our community over the decades. Watch this space for dates and details of our Community Festival!
Lost Landmarks
Our map celebrates the present and marks sites that have vanished or been transformed:
Opened in 1853, once popular and fashionable, it sat over 1,000 people and extended in 1856. After over a century of service, it closed in 1977. The congregation merged into the then new Church Centre at Edward Rd/Mary St.
The Church of Christ (Moseley Rd)
Opened in 1912, this congregation also moved to the Edward Rd Church Centre. Today, the original building serves a new purpose as a Muslim Student House.
St Thomas in the Moors (Lincoln St)
Founded in 1883 on land donated by William Sands Cox, this church built in memory of his father Edward Towsend Cox owner of Long Moors Farm which they owned since 1608. The church was demolished in the Balsall Heath Clearances of the 1960s.
This church was an off-shoot of the Cherry Street chapel in Birmingham founded in 1782 by John Wesley. The church buildings were destroyed during bombing in 1940. A new church was built on the same site, the foundation stone being laid in 1949, now closed.
The foundation stone for the rebuilt Methodist Church was laid in 1949 by Mrs Minnie Moon, one of the original church members, aged 91. The original church was bombed in the Second World War.
Methodist Chapel (Vincent St)
This was the first public building in the area, erected in 1839. It stood for over 130 years before being demolished in the 1970s.
Wenman Street Chapel
Likely a Brethren meeting house, this chapel was another casualty of the clearances that reshaped Balsall Heath.
This Baptist chapel was built in 1854 ‘at the sole expence of Joseph Weakley of Graham’s Town, South Africa’. Joseph came ‘to superintend the shipping of guns’. James Weakley described his occupation as ‘colonial agent’ or ‘shipping agent’. James became a Deacon, and Rev. Peter Stanford of Hope Street Chapel, formerly a slave in America, was possibly the first black minister in the UK – see more in October 2020 edition of the Gazette.
Congregational Church Moseley Rd
Stood on corner of Runcorn Rd & Moseley Rd, opened 1862 with seating for over 1000 and demolished in the 1970s. The Sunday School building is still there and now used by Clifton Road Mosque as part of their educational premises.
Save the Date!
The Balsall Heath Community Festival runs from July 3rd to July 13th. We’ll be hosting events across the entire area, with more details on coming soon. Whether you are a person of faith or a lover of local history, we invite you to walk with us and discover the hidden stories of Balsall Heath.
Every local pub has its stories, but some are remembered years after, like The Crown on St. Pauls Road. While the building has since been converted into flats, the Crown is remembered as a local that helped with the Carnival and raised money for the Children’s hospital.
The Crown Pub, run by Brian and Maureen McSkane in the 70s
We took some photos to Balsall Heath Church Centre and found that locals still had fond memories of the pub:
‘And that is the Crown Pub, there isn’t it? I remember they had the off-licence [too] That was that was the sort of pub…the other ones were run down but the Crown was like, well it was nice if you was going out. If you were going out with your Mrs you’d go to the Crown. It was the best pub. Oh yeah, had my ticket from there a few times, I have, everyone did. Very strict.
5th March 2026
Crown history
Built around 1860, it was in the leafy Birmingham suburb of Balsall Heath, and wasn’t until the 1890s that the street was fully lined with houses. Carl Chinn for his PhD. wrote about ‘The Anatomy of a Working Class Neighbourhood’ (West Sparkbrook) noted pubs as hubs for social clubs – The Apollo Cycling club met at the Crown. Cycling then might have been a status symbol, as you had both the disposable income to buy a bike and the leisure time to join a cycling club. Birmingham was becoming a powerhouse for bike manufacture then, and it is likely that Apollo Cycling Club members were also involved in their production nearby.
The first reference to the Crown pub is from 1890 when it was the HQ for the Apollo Cycling Club. Then later it was used as a meeting place for a Sick & Dividend Society (pre-NHS private health insurance) in 1894 and a Literary & Debating Society in 1896
Report in the Heathan
Maureen McSkane reporting for the Balsall Heathan April 1975 wrote about a charity group set up at the pub:
At the beginning of November a group of regulars at the Crown pub decided that they wanted to do something to raise money for a charity organisation, to help those less fortunate than themselves. So the ‘Crown Fund-raising for Charity Group’ was formed. It includes the licensee, his wife and some of the customers. They decided to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Group,and their first venture was a sponsored walk which took place on a Sunday afternoon. It covered 10 miles and had 22 participants. This venture raised £165,which was a good start. They then held a darts K.O. competition and a ‘carol-singing’ session. When all the proceeds were added together it all came to £178 which was duly posted off to the Muscular Dystrophy Group in London.
Maureen McSkane April 1975
Danny Ryan with a giant cheque for £8416.19 for Arthritis and Rheumatism Research outside The Crown c. 1980, possibly with his mother whose condition and treatment locally inspired Danny
‘That’s Danny Ryan, he used to have all these bottles in the [Crown] Pub. And you used to put, your change in them. He got an MBE.’
5th March 2026
Danny Ryan is a legendary figure in the Birmingham Irish Community as a dedicated fundraiser. Inspired by the care his mother received at local hospitals, over 35 years he’s raised over £3 million for charitable causes, including Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Breast Cancer Charities and many others. He works with local publicans using collection bottles and local fundraising events. In 2001, Danny was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for his outstanding services to the community. He is also a recipient of the Irish Post Award.
