BIRMINGHAM: Birmingham Edgbaston MP Preet Kaur Gill has highlighted the importance of early intervention and community-based support for women, children and families after speaking at a JABBS Foundation event in Harborne alongside Dame Vera Baird and Jess Phillips MP.
The event brought together charities, researchers and frontline organisations working on issues affecting women, children and families, with discussions focusing on practical approaches to supporting people before problems develop into deeper crises.
Gill said the work of the JABBS Foundation for Women and Girls demonstrated how philanthropy, frontline services and academic research could work together to develop evidence-based approaches and influence wider policy. The Foundation says its work focuses on improving outcomes for women and girls, generating evidence about effective support and strengthening communities in Birmingham.
One of the initiatives highlighted was the Birmingham Pathfinder, an early-help and family-support programme designed to work with families experiencing a range of socio-economic difficulties. According to the JABBS Foundation, the programme provides support through schools and is intended to address problems affecting families in a coordinated way. The Foundation has committed £1.8 million to the Pathfinder programme for the period from April 2025 to April 2028.
Gill, who previously worked in children’s services and safeguarding, stressed the importance of intervening early rather than waiting until families reach crisis point.
She said her professional experience had shown her the importance of providing support that considers the circumstances of the whole family and addresses problems at an early stage.
The JABBS Foundation has also been supporting research into alternatives to custody for women whose involvement with the criminal justice system may be linked to circumstances including abuse, exploitation, trauma, substance misuse and housing difficulties.
In May 2026, the University of Birmingham announced a new £1.9 million, three-year JABBS-funded research programme examining the effectiveness of women’s centres and community-based alternatives to custody. The project follows £2.3 million in previous funding since 2015.
The University said the research aims to strengthen the evidence base surrounding women’s centres and improve understanding of interventions that can address the circumstances associated with women’s involvement in the criminal justice system. More than 2,000 women in England and Wales have so far been assessed using the Women’s Risk Needs Assessment tool developed through the research programme.
The Foundation’s current work also includes partnerships with organisations supporting women and girls across the UK. Its website says it has worked with more than 30 organisations and committed more than £13 million over five years to support women, girls, families and communities.
For Birmingham, the Pathfinder represents a model centred on early help, with schools serving as an important point of contact for families facing multiple challenges. The Foundation says its wider strategy includes improving the evidence base, supporting better lives and strengthening wellbeing in Birmingham.
Gill has represented Birmingham Edgbaston since 2017 and currently describes herself as the Labour and Co-operative MP for Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne, Quinton and North Edgbaston. Her official biography records her previous career in social work and local government before entering Parliament.
The Harborne event comes as Gill continues to highlight community-focused initiatives in her constituency, including services aimed at supporting families, schools and local communities.
The wider question raised by the JABBS work is whether successful local programmes can generate sufficient evidence to influence policy beyond Birmingham. Its current research partnerships indicate an effort to connect local service delivery with academic evidence and national policy discussions.
Punjab Outlook Analysis: The Birmingham experience underlines the growing emphasis on early intervention, school-based family support and community alternatives in addressing complex social problems. The longer-term test will be whether evidence generated through such programmes can demonstrate measurable outcomes and be translated into sustainable public policy.