Author: Jane Edwards

Local community activity event -17 August

The Friends of Jasmin Fields Nature Reserve, supported by New Vision, are holding a local event to encourage residents to become members of local Friends Groups and support their community.  The event will run from 11am till 1pm on Saturday the 17th August on the main field area of Jasmin Fields, which can be accessed from Jasmin Croft or Bayston Rd, Kings Heath.

Misc 013The Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery will be at the event to encourage people to support their cause, along with other local groups.

The Neighbourhood Policing Team will be security marking bikes and running repairs will be available from ‘Bike Fixers’

The Ranger service will be stream dipping and bug hunting and members of Jasmin Fields Friends will be leading a walk around the site and the canal area.  If you want to be sporty, Billesley Tennis Centre will be holding some activities and there will be various crafts for children to get involved in. There will also be a wood carver demonstrating her skills. Hopefully lots of local people will attend and all our groups will benefit from new members.

Local school children enjoy the cemetery trees!

Before the end of the summer term, pupils from Woodthorpe Junior and Infant school joined members of the Friends to investigate our ‘Tree Walk’ as part of their ECO week. The pupils, accompanied by members of staff, collected leaves and cones and did leaf and bark rubbings.20130722_111804 The school hopes to be working with us again in the Autumn term on a number of small projects. Woodthorpe has a newly instated Forest School area and a keen ECO group and the children were very enthusiastic and entered into the spirit of the activity despite occasional slight drizzle.

Brightening up the Lodge

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Parks staff were busily planting geraniums around the perimeter of the Lodge to brighten up the beds. Along with every gardener they are finding that all their bedding plants are late this year but hopefully they will create a splash of colour in the next few weeks.

Safety First at Broad Lane entrance

As those of you who use Brandwood End Cemetery regularly will know, making an exit via the Broad Lane gate often means taking your life in your hands. As you exit the cemetery you are obscured by hedge row and then immediately on the road with no pavement.This meant that speeding traffic approaching from the right had no way of knowing you were there!

After discussions with local Councillors and Bereavements department we are pleased to say that the ‘road’ side of the gate on Broad Lane has now been marked with white lines to highlight the exit from the main gate and also the Jewish gate to road users.

Bereavements department will also be fitting a sign within the cemetery as you approach the gate to warn pedestrians of the danger. Road Marking

Thank you to our members that drew this to our attention and the Councillors and Birmingham City Council Bereavements department for supporting our request.

Hobbits and crafts!

The New Vision Community Board made its first appearance off site at the Middle Earth Weekend at the Shire Country Park (Sarehole Mill). Many people stopped to ask questions about the Brandwood End Cemetery and we hope, as a result we will see some new members to our already growing group. Please do think about joining The Friends (There is information on how to do this on our site). There is always strength in numbers and more members lead to more ideas as to how we can work with BCC to retain and improve the quality of this magical cemetery site.

 

Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery – AGM

FBEC held their AGM this evening at the Brandwood Centre. Unfortunately attendance was low but the evening was rounded off by a very interesting talk by the Reverend Douglas Wilkes on the Cemeteries of the Jewellery Quarter.
Neville Summerfield proposed a vote of thanks to Anne Courbet, who has been involved with FBEC since its inception and was currently serving as Chairman. Anne announced her intention to step down from her role and also from the committee but will continue to support FBEC and its future projects.
The elected committee members names, committee officers details and annual accounts will be displayed on this site following the first committee meeting on 1st May.

Can you help keep our Cemetery clean and tidy? Yes you can, in just 90 minutes!

The Friends carry out four litter picks each year and we really need your help to keep the Cemetery tidy for family and visitors.  You don’t have to be a member just willing to help out for 90 minutes.  Litter pickers and bags are provided!  Please put the date in your diary and come along if you can.  All you need is sturdy shoes, gloves and suitable outdoor clothing!We meet at the Lodge at 10.00am and are generally finished by 11.30.

We are in need of all the help we can get to keep the Cemetery looking clean and tidy. If you can’t make March then these are our other dates:

Sunday 2nd June 2013
Saturday 7th September 2013
Sunday 1st December 2013

See you there?

Local children produce their drawings of Brandwood End Cemetery!

Just prior to Christmas 2012 New Vision Community Group were part of the Christmas Fayre at St Albans School. FBEC, as members of this group, ran a small competition for the pupils to draw what they saw and liked within Brandwood End Cemetery. These are the three prize winners.

This beautiful drawing of our Chapels was produced by Nancy McAndrew, who is 10 years old.

 

Maisey Cox, aged 9, has captured the   avenues of trees that make Brandwood End cemetery so beautiful.

 

 

 

Our final winner is just 5! Roman Addy has managed to pack so many things into his picture. Foxes, trees, angels, grave stones, mushrooms….and even a cat he saw!

Full marks for observation.

 

Each of the three winners will receive a prize of some items to use for their future artistic endeavours and their efforts will be displayed on our notice boards as well as here on our site.

We would like to thank them for taking the time to enter our competition.