Recently, Perry Common Community Hall was full of laughter,  smiles, and an unmistakable warmth that could only come from one place: a room full of people who love Linda Hines MBE as much as she loves them.

On the occasion of her 75th birthday, the community that Linda has helped shape, rebuild, and uplift came together to celebrate not just a milestone in age, but a lifetime of quiet courage, fierce determination, and endless heart. From the moment you stepped through the doors, you could feel it: this was more than a birthday party. It was a standing ovation for Linda – the beating heart of Perry Common.

From Boot Houses to Belonging

Linda’s story began with a letter that could have ended a community, but instead, changed its course forever. In 1989, residents of the crumbling Boot houses were told their homes would be demolished and instead of accepting that decision, a group of neighbours united and refused to be written out of their own story.

Over the years, that unity became something remarkable, and in 1994 Witton Lodge Community Association was established with Linda’s support. She helped build homes that were “good enough for our moms,” but she also helped build something less visible and more vital: dignity, stability, and a strong sense of collective pride.

More than thirty years on, that promise echoes in every brick of the 200+ homes WLCA manages, in the halls of Sycamore Court, the stairways of Erdington Wellbeing Hub and in the beautiful landscape of  Witton Lakes Eco Hub

A Leader with Heart and Determination

What makes Linda so extraordinary is that she speaks up and hold people to account, doesn’t shy away from tough issues – but she’s also at home sitting with a tenant over a cup of tea, listening without judgment and making sure their voice is heard.

Erdington MP Paulette Hamilton put it perfectly: Linda’s gift is in building relationships that “strengthen communities and inspire trust.” Paul Fozard, one of her long‑standing friends and fellow volunteers, spoke of her warmth, her fairness, and her famous line: “If you promise something, you better deliver.”

Those words are inscribed in the culture of WLCA. She leads by example, and because of that, generations of residents have learnt that when the community speaks, people listen.

A Celebration of Community, Not Just a Birthday

Linda’s 75th birthday event was a beautiful reflection of the values she has lived by. The hall was filled with family, friends, colleagues, and partners who had all been inspired by her work. The gift table was overflowing, but the real gift was the room itself: packed with people who see Linda as the one who showed up when things were hard, stayed when others left, and never stopped believing in Perry Common, even when it would have been easy to look away.

When she took the microphone, she didn’t talk about awards or honours first. Instead, she spoke of gratitude – for the residents, for her fellow volunteers, for WLCA colleagues, and for the people who told her “you can do this” when she wasn’t sure. She reminded everyone that Witton Lodge began with a handful of neighbours saying, “We can do this ourselves,” and that 34 years later, she’s still learning, still listening, and still leaning into the long game.

The Living Legacy of Linda Hines

An MBE in 2009 was a national recognition of her work, but the real legacy of Linda Hines MBE lives in the everyday lives of Perry Common:

• In the resident who feels safe and supported in their new home.
• In the young person who finds a route into work at a WLCA skills hub.
• In the volunteer who plants trees at her beloved Community Orchard in Witton Lakes Eco Hub and knows they’re growing something for generations to come.

She has shown that community ownership is not an abstract policy idea – it’s people standing together, making decisions, and taking responsibility. She has helped turn a neighbourhood once written off into a place where people don’t just live, but belong.

Chief Officer at WLCA, Afzal Hussain, summed it up perfectly when he said: “This organisation and this community would not be what it is if it hadn’t been for Linda.”

A Toast to Linda

So here’s to Linda Hines MBE, at 75:
To the woman who turned a demolition notice into a blueprint for renewal.
To the quiet leader whose voice can change a council decision, and whose smile can ease a neighbour’s worry.
To the resident, volunteer, director, and friend who has dedicated her life to making Perry Common a community that looks after its own.

Thank you, Linda – here’s to many more years of building a community that continues to shine, because you showed us how to build it together.

You can enjoy our special video tribute to our very special Chair, below