Balsall Health was once one of Birmingham's worst areas, hosting its Red Light district which welcomed kerb crawlers and criminals. A group of local residents came together to picket these visitors and began campaigning for a cleaner, brighter and better future. Their success was the foundations of the Balsall Heath Forum which has worked for over 20 years, to transform the area into one of Birmingham's most vibrant and welcoming areas. This led to the area being selected by the Department for Communities and Local Government to be one of its first 12 national pilots to show others how to follow suit in bringing about grassroots community regeneration and transformation.